Stop consonant facts for kids
Stops or plosives are special consonant sounds. They are made by completely stopping the flow of air from your lungs for a moment. Then, you release the air suddenly to make the sound.
Think of it like a tiny explosion of air in your mouth!
Stop sounds can be:
- Voiceless: This means your vocal cords do not vibrate when you make the sound. Examples are /p/ (as in "pat"), /t/ (as in "top"), and /k/ (as in "cat").
- Voiced: This means your vocal cords vibrate when you make the sound. Examples are /b/ (as in "bat"), /d/ (as in "dog"), and /g/ (as in "go").
How Plosive Sounds Are Made
To make a plosive sound, you block a part of your mouth. This stops the air from passing through.
While the air is blocked, pressure builds up behind the block. When you release the block, the air bursts out. This burst of air creates the plosive consonant sound.
You can block the air using different parts of your mouth:
Examples of Plosive Sounds
Here are some common plosive sounds you use every day:
- /p/ and /b/ are made by pressing your lips together.
* /p/ is voiceless (like in "pop"). * /b/ is voiced (like in "ball").
- /t/ and /d/ are made by touching your tongue to the ridge behind your front teeth.
* /t/ is voiceless (like in "toy"). * /d/ is voiced (like in "doll").
- /k/ and /g/ are made by touching the back of your tongue to the soft part at the back of your mouth (the soft palate).
* /k/ is voiceless (like in "kite"). * /g/ is voiced (like in "game").
There's also a special plosive called a glottal stop. This sound is made in your throat by briefly closing your vocal cords. You might hear it in the middle of words like "uh-oh!"
