Glottal stop facts for kids

The glottal stop is a special sound we make with our voice. Think of it like a tiny pause or a little "catch" in your throat. It's a type of consonant sound, which means it's made by blocking air in some way as it leaves your mouth. For the glottal stop, you block the air right at the back of your throat, where your vocal cords are. This part of your throat is called the glottis.

• Try this example: Say the word "uh-oh". That little sound you make between "uh" and "oh" – that's a glottal stop!
• Another example: In some parts of the world, people say "butter" without really saying the "t" sound in the middle. It sounds more like "bu'er". That little stop where the "t" should be is a glottal stop.

Many languages around the world use the glottal stop. Sometimes, it's a very important sound that can change the meaning of a word.

How We Make the Glottal Stop

Making a glottal stop is like quickly closing and opening a tiny door in your throat.

• First, your vocal cords (which are like two small flaps) snap together tightly. This stops the air from coming out of your lungs.
• Then, they quickly open again, letting the air burst out. This quick block and release of air is what creates the sound. It's a very fast action!

Where You Can Hear It

The glottal stop is used in many different ways:

• In English: As mentioned, you hear it in words like "uh-oh" or sometimes in informal speech for "butter" or "kitten". It's also often used before a vowel at the beginning of a word, like when you say "apple" or "elephant".
• In other languages: In some languages, like Arabic or Hawaiian, the glottal stop is a regular consonant, just like 'p' or 'k'. It's written down as part of the word. For example, in Hawaiian, the word "Hawai'i" has a glottal stop where the apostrophe is. It's a real letter in their alphabet!

Why Is It Important?

The glottal stop might seem like a small sound, but it's a big part of how we speak and understand each other.

• It helps separate words or sounds, making speech clearer.
• In some languages, it can change the meaning of a word completely. Imagine if saying "cat" and "ca't" meant two different things!

Learning about sounds like the glottal stop helps us understand how amazing and complex human language is. Every sound we make plays a part in how we communicate.

Images for kids

• 

  Road sign in British Columbia showing the use of 7 to represent /ʔ/ in Squamish.

See also

In Spanish: Oclusiva glotal para niños