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.

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.