According to the place of articulation, consonants are classified as ______

• A. Voiced and voiceless
• B. Nasal and plosive
• C. Fricative and affricate
• D. Bilabial, alveolar, velar and labiodental

Answer: (D)

The place of articulation describes where in the vocal tract the constriction occurs when a consonant is produced. Listing bilabial, alveolar, velar, and labiodental names places of articulation, because each term identifies a specific location: bilabial uses both lips, alveolar uses the tongue against the alveolar ridge, velar uses the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and labiodental uses the lips and teeth. For example, p and b are bilabial, t and d are alveolar, k and g are velar, and f is labiodental. The other categories describe how the sound is made (voicing; manner like nasal vs. plosive, or fricative vs. affricate) rather than where it is made, so the statement listing these four places is the correct framing.