Two articulations (lips, tongue, teeth, etc.) are brought together such that the flow of air through the vocal tract is completely blocked.

• A. Fricatives
• B. Stops
• C. Affricates
• D. Nasals

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is how a stop consonant is made. It happens when two articulators come together to seal off the oral cavity completely, so no air can pass through the mouth. That complete occlusion lets air pressure build up behind the closure, and then the closure is released suddenly, producing a short, sudden burst of sound—the characteristic punch of sounds like p, b, t, d, k, and g. Stops can be voiceless or voiced depending on whether the vocal cords vibrate during the closure (p vs b, t vs d, k vs g).

Fricatives, in contrast, involve a narrow constriction that lets air flow continuously and creates friction sounds rather than a full blockage. Affricates start as a stop but immediately release into a fricative, so the airflow isn’t just a single burst. Nasals involve air passing through the nasal cavity because the velum is lowered, so the oral passage isn't completely blocked for all airflow.