A _____ articulation is one in which the airflow through the mouth is completely blocked but the velum is lowered , forcing the air through the nose.

• A. Nasals
• B. Stops
• C. Liquids
• D. Vowels

Answer: (A)

This item is about nasal articulation. Here, the oral cavity is completely blocked and the velum is lowered, so air escapes through the nose rather than the mouth. That lowered velum creates a nasal resonance, which is why sounds like m, n, and ŋ feel nasal.

This matches nasal sounds, where the key feature is the open nasal passage due to a lowered velum, even though the mouth is closed. The other categories don't fit this pattern: stops also involve a momentary closure and release in the oral cavity with the velum usually raised to block the nose; vowels and liquids do not require a complete oral blockage or a lowered velum to route air through the nose.