plosivessuch

Plosives are a class of consonants in phonetics that are produced by stopping the airflow in the vocal tract and then releasing it suddenly. This sudden release of air is known as a plosion. In English, the most common plosives are the sounds represented by the letters p, t, and k, and their voiced counterparts b, d, and g.

The production of a plosive involves three distinct stages. First, the airflow is completely obstructed at a particular point in the vocal tract. For example, the sound 'p' is made by closing the lips, stopping the air from escaping the mouth. Second, the articulators (lips, tongue, or soft palate) remain in place for a brief moment, building up pressure behind the obstruction. Finally, the obstruction is removed quickly, allowing the built-up air to be released in a burst.

Plosives can be further categorized by their place of articulation and voicing. The place of articulation refers to where in the mouth the airflow is stopped. Common places include the bilabial (using both lips), alveolar (using the tongue tip against the alveolar ridge), and velar (using the back of the tongue against the soft palate). Voicing distinguishes between plosives produced with vibration of the vocal cords (voiced, like 'b') and those produced without (voiceless, like 'p'). The combination of these features creates the distinct plosive sounds found in languages around the world.