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Consonants are speech sounds produced with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. They are a fundamental component of spoken language and are categorized based on their place and manner of articulation. The term "consonants" originates from the Latin word "consonare," which means "to sound together." In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), consonants are represented by various symbols, each denoting a specific sound.

Consonants can be classified into several groups based on their place of articulation, which refers to the location in the mouth where the airflow is obstructed. The primary places of articulation include bilabial (both lips), labiodental (upper teeth and lower lip), dental (tongue against the upper teeth), alveolar (tongue against the alveolar ridge), palatal (tongue against the hard palate), velar (tongue against the soft palate), and glottal (vocal cords).

The manner of articulation refers to the way the airflow is obstructed or released. Common manners of articulation include plosives (sudden release of air, e.g., /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/), fricatives (continuous airflow with turbulence, e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/), affricates (combination of a plosive and a fricative, e.g., /tʃ/, /dʒ/), nasals (airflow through the nose, e.g., /m/, /n/, /ŋ/), and approximants (partial closure with some airflow, e.g., /l/, /r/, /j/, /w/).

Consonants play a crucial role in distinguishing words and conveying meaning in languages around the world. They are often used to create syllable structures and contribute to the phonotactics of a language. The study of consonants is an essential aspect of phonetics and phonology, the scientific disciplines that analyze the sounds of human language.