Which term describes a consonant sound produced by partially blocking the airstream in the mouth, allowing audible friction without complete closure (for example /f/ or /v/)

Which term describes a consonant sound produced by partially blocking the airstream in the mouth, allowing audible friction without complete closure (for example /f/ or /v/)

• A. Fricative
• B. Plosive
• C. Nasal
• D. Approximant

Answer: (A)

Fricatives are consonants produced by partially blocking the airstream in the mouth so that air passes with turbulence, creating audible friction without a complete closure. That partial constriction is enough to make a continuous, hissing-like sound, as in /f/ and /v/, which are formed with a narrow gap between the lips and teeth (labiodental). This differs from a plosive, which involves a full closure and a burst of air when the closure is released; from a nasal, where the velum lowers and air goes through the nasal cavity; and from an approximant, where the constriction is wider and there’s little friction. So the described term is fricative.