Obstruent «500+ COMPLETE»

They produce a significant increase in air pressure inside the mouth compared to the surrounding air. Obstruent vs. Sonorant

An obstruent is a speech sound produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, resulting in a complete or partial blockage that creates noise or friction. Unlike sonorants (such as vowels, nasals, or liquids) which allow air to flow relatively freely, obstruents are defined by their "tight" or "hissy" acoustic properties. Categories of Obstruents

A combination that begins like a stop and releases into a fricative (e.g., /tʃ/ as in "church," /dʒ/ as in "judge"). Key Characteristics obstruent

They are marked by the presence of noise or silence during the constriction phase.

Air is forced through a narrow passage, creating friction (e.g., /f, v, s, z, ʃ, h/). They produce a significant increase in air pressure

Air is blocked completely and then released (e.g., /p, b, t, d, k, g/).

To understand what an obstruent is, it helps to see what it is . In linguistic terms, they are formally marked as [-sonorant] . Obstruents Airflow Restricted or blocked Relatively free Sound Quality Noisy, turbulent Resonant, musical Voicing Often voiceless Prototypically voiced Examples /p, f, tʃ/ /m, l, w, vowels/ Unlike sonorants (such as vowels, nasals, or liquids)

Obstruents frequently occur in pairs—one voiced (vocal folds vibrate) and one voiceless (no vibration)—such as /s/ vs. /z/ or /t/ vs. /d/.