Stops

Definition

Stops are consonant sounds produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, creating a build-up of pressure before releasing it suddenly. These sounds, also known as plosives, are characterized by their complete closure of the vocal tract during production, resulting in a burst of sound. Stops play a crucial role in distinguishing meanings between words and can vary in articulation and acoustics depending on language and dialect.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. In English, the three primary voiceless stops are /p/, /t/, and /k/, while the voiced counterparts are /b/, /d/, and /g/.
2. Stops can be classified as oral or nasal, depending on whether airflow is released through the mouth or nose; for example, nasal stops include /m/ and /n/.
3. The place of articulation for stops can vary, including bilabial (both lips), alveolar (tongue against the alveolar ridge), and velar (back of the tongue against the soft palate).
4. The aspiration of stops, especially in English, refers to a burst of air that follows voiceless stops like /p/ and /t/ when they occur at the beginning of a word.
5. Stops are crucial in phonology for distinguishing minimal pairs—words that differ by only one sound—such as 'bat' vs. 'pat', highlighting their importance in communication.

Review Questions

• How do stops differ from other consonant sounds in terms of airflow and articulation?
  • Stops differ from other consonant sounds because they involve a complete closure of the vocal tract, which creates a build-up of air pressure. This contrasts with fricatives or approximants, where airflow is partially obstructed rather than fully stopped. The sudden release of pressure when producing stops results in distinct sound bursts, making them critical for understanding speech.
• Discuss the significance of aspiration in English voiceless stops and how it affects speech perception.
  • Aspiration in English voiceless stops plays an important role in differentiating sounds and influencing speech perception. For instance, aspirated versions of voiceless stops like /pʰ/ in 'pat' create a burst of breath that distinguishes it from its non-aspirated counterpart in 'spat'. This difference can impact how listeners perceive and understand spoken language, emphasizing the nuanced nature of stop production.
• Evaluate how variations in stop articulation across languages can affect phonetic inventories and language learning.
  • Variations in stop articulation across languages can significantly influence phonetic inventories and language learning processes. Different languages may have unique stop sounds or distinctions—like ejective or implosive stops—that are not present in others. For learners, adapting to these variations can pose challenges in pronunciation and comprehension, as their native phonetic systems may not align with those of the target language. This highlights the importance of understanding articulatory features for effective language acquisition.

Related terms

Plosives: Another name for stops, referring specifically to the sudden release of airflow that characterizes these sounds, such as /p/, /t/, and /k/.

Voiced and Voiceless: Voiced stops occur when the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation of the sound (like /b/, /d/, /g/), while voiceless stops do not involve vocal cord vibration (like /p/, /t/, /k/).

Manner of Articulation: This refers to how airflow is constricted or modified to produce different speech sounds, with stops being one of several manners of articulation.