Which phoneme is the bilabial nasal?

Which phoneme is the bilabial nasal?

• A. /m/
• B. /n/
• C. /ŋ/
• D. /p/

Answer: (A)

Nasal sounds are made by letting air escape through the nose while the oral cavity is constricted. A bilabial articulation uses both lips. The sound that fits both criteria—made with the lips closed and air flowing through the nose—is /m/. The other options are different places or manners of articulation: /n/ is an alveolar nasal (tongue at the alveolar ridge), /ŋ/ is a velar nasal (back of the tongue against the soft palate), and /p/ is a bilabial stop (lip closure with air released through the mouth, not the nose).

Nasal sounds are made by letting air escape through the nose while the oral cavity is constricted. A bilabial articulation uses both lips. The sound that fits both criteria—made with the lips closed and air flowing through the nose—is /m/. The other options are different places or manners of articulation: /n/ is an alveolar nasal (tongue at the alveolar ridge), /ŋ/ is a velar nasal (back of the tongue against the soft palate), and /p/ is a bilabial stop (lip closure with air released through the mouth, not the nose).