A glottal stop is a consonant sound produced when the flow of air is stopped by the glottis closing, and then released. Which option matches this definition?

A glottal stop is a consonant sound produced when the flow of air is stopped by the glottis closing, and then released. Which option matches this definition?

• A. Glottal stop
• B. Fricative
• C. Nasal
• D. Plosive

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how a consonant is produced by stopping and then releasing the airflow at a specific place of articulation. A glottal stop is exactly that: a complete closure at the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) stops the airstream and then releases it, creating the characteristic abrupt burst. This makes it a stop (plosive) sound produced at the glottis. This isn’t a fricative, which would involve a narrow constriction that causes continuous turbulence as air squeezes through. It isn’t a nasal, which requires air to pass through the nasal cavity because the oral passage is closed in a way that directs airflow upward into the nose. While it is a type of stop, the defining feature given in the description is the closure at the glottis, which is what the term glottal stop names.

The main idea here is how a consonant is produced by stopping and then releasing the airflow at a specific place of articulation. A glottal stop is exactly that: a complete closure at the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) stops the airstream and then releases it, creating the characteristic abrupt burst. This makes it a stop (plosive) sound produced at the glottis.

This isn’t a fricative, which would involve a narrow constriction that causes continuous turbulence as air squeezes through. It isn’t a nasal, which requires air to pass through the nasal cavity because the oral passage is closed in a way that directs airflow upward into the nose. While it is a type of stop, the defining feature given in the description is the closure at the glottis, which is what the term glottal stop names.