Which category is produced with some restriction or closure in the vocal tract as air from the lungs is pushed through the glottis and out the mouth?

• A. Consonant sounds
• B. Vowel sounds
• C. Nasal sounds
• D. Glottal stops

Answer: (A)

Consonant sounds come from narrowing or blocking the airflow in the vocal tract. When air from the lungs is pushed through the glottis and out the mouth, any amount of restriction—whether at the lips, teeth, palate, or by a momentary closure at the glottis—creates the distinct sounds we classify as consonants. Vowels, by contrast, use a relatively open vocal tract, with shaping from the tongue and lips rather than a constriction. Nasal sounds involve air flowing through the nasal cavity because the velum is lowered, not constriction in the oral path. Glottal stops are a specific kind of consonant produced by a closure at the glottis, but the general category described here is consonant sounds.