An L-like consonant where the airstream proceeds along the sides of the tongue, but is blocked from going through the middle of the mouth is called a _____?

An L-like consonant where the airstream proceeds along the sides of the tongue, but is blocked from going through the middle of the mouth is called a _____?

• A. Lateral
• B. Alveolar
• C. Palatal
• D. Velar

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how the airstream is directed during articulation. A lateral consonant is produced when the central part of the mouth is blocked by the tongue, and the air escapes around the sides of the tongue. An L-like sound—like the English “L”—is the classic example of this: the tongue tip (often at the alveolar ridge) blocks the center, and air passes along the sides. That sideward airflow defines the lateral nature of the sound. The other options describe where in the mouth the tongue is placed, not how the air flows. An alveolar sound refers to the tongue position at the alveolar ridge, palatal to the hard palate, and velar to the soft palate; none of these inherently specify sideways airflow. So the term that matches “airflow along the sides of the tongue while the middle is blocked” is lateral.

The key idea is how the airstream is directed during articulation. A lateral consonant is produced when the central part of the mouth is blocked by the tongue, and the air escapes around the sides of the tongue. An L-like sound—like the English “L”—is the classic example of this: the tongue tip (often at the alveolar ridge) blocks the center, and air passes along the sides. That sideward airflow defines the lateral nature of the sound.

The other options describe where in the mouth the tongue is placed, not how the air flows. An alveolar sound refers to the tongue position at the alveolar ridge, palatal to the hard palate, and velar to the soft palate; none of these inherently specify sideways airflow. So the term that matches “airflow along the sides of the tongue while the middle is blocked” is lateral.