stopsplosives

Stops, also called plosives in many linguistic traditions, are a class of consonants produced by a complete closure of the vocal tract that momentarily stops the airstream and then releases it. The release creates a short burst of air audible as the consonant. When the air is released only through the nose, the sound is a nasal stop; stops described here are oral stops.

Articulation and places of articulation: Common places of articulation include bilabial (p, b), dental and alveolar (t, d), palatal (c, ɟ), velar (k, g), and glottal (ʔ). Some languages also employ other variants such as uvular stops. Stops are categorized by voicing: voiceless stops (p, t, k) versus voiced stops (b, d, g). In many languages, voiceless stops are aspirated at the moment of release, producing a brief noise burst; others have unaspirated voiceless stops. The perception of aspiration can differ perceptually and across languages.

Phonology and variation: Stops can appear in onset or coda positions in syllables; many languages have phonemic glottal stops or use glottalization as an allophone of other consonants. Some languages contrast stops with ejective or implosive stop series that use non-pulmonic air streams. The exact inventory and phonetic realization of stops vary widely across languages.

Cross-linguistic distribution and writing systems: Stops are among the most widespread consonants. The term stops is common in American English, while plosives is often used in British English; both refer to the same category. In English, p, t, and k are typically aspirated at the start of stressed syllables, while in many languages such as Spanish, stops may be unaspirated. Understanding stops is foundational in phonetics, phonology, and language pedagogy.