Which of the following sounds is a fricative?

Which of the following sounds is a fricative?

• A. /p/
• B. /ʃ/
• C. /t/
• D. /b/

Answer: (B)

Fricatives are sounds made by forcing air through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract, creating a continuous, hissing-like noise. The sound /ʃ/ fits this description: it’s produced with the tongue close to the palate to form a small channel for the air, so the airflow remains ongoing and noisy, like the “sh” sound in “ship.” The other options are stops, where airflow is completely blocked and then released, producing a quick burst rather than a sustained friction noise. So /p/ and /t/ are voiceless stops at the lips and at the alveolar ridge, and /b/ is a voiced stop at the lips. Because they involve a full closure rather than a continuous airstream, they are not fricatives.

Fricatives are sounds made by forcing air through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract, creating a continuous, hissing-like noise. The sound /ʃ/ fits this description: it’s produced with the tongue close to the palate to form a small channel for the air, so the airflow remains ongoing and noisy, like the “sh” sound in “ship.” The other options are stops, where airflow is completely blocked and then released, producing a quick burst rather than a sustained friction noise. So /p/ and /t/ are voiceless stops at the lips and at the alveolar ridge, and /b/ is a voiced stop at the lips. Because they involve a full closure rather than a continuous airstream, they are not fricatives.