Editing Manner of articulation (section)

==Individual manners==

* '''[[plosive consonant|Plosive]]''', often called '''stop''', is an oral occlusive, where there is ''occlusion'' (blocking) of the oral [[vocal tract]], and no nasal air flow, so the air flow stops completely. Examples include [[English language|English]] {{IPA|/p t k/}} ([[phonation|voiceless]]) and {{IPA|/b d ɡ/}} ([[phonation|voiced]]). If the consonant is voiced, the voicing is the only sound made during occlusion; if it is voiceless, a stop is completely silent. What we hear as a /p/ or /k/ is the effect that the ''onset'' of the occlusion has on the preceding vowel, as well as the [[release (phonetics)|release]] burst and its effect on the following vowel. The shape and position of the tongue (the ''place'' of articulation) determine the [[resonance|resonant]] cavity that gives different stops their characteristic sounds. All languages have stops.
* '''[[nasal consonant|Nasal]]''', a nasal occlusive, where there is occlusion of the oral tract, but air passes through the nose. The shape and position of the tongue determine the resonant cavity that gives different nasals their characteristic sounds. Examples include English {{IPA|/m, n/}}. Nearly all languages have nasals, the only exceptions being in the area of [[Puget Sound region|Puget Sound]] and a single language on [[Bougainville Island]].
* '''[[Fricative consonant|Fricative]]''', sometimes called '''spirant''', where there is continuous ''frication'' (turbulent and [[Colors of noise|noisy]] airflow) at the place of articulation. Examples include English {{IPA|/f, s/}} (voiceless), {{IPA|/v, z/}} (voiced), etc. Most languages have fricatives, though many have only an {{IPA|/s/}}. However, the [[Indigenous Australian languages]] are almost completely devoid of fricatives of any kind.
** '''[[Sibilant consonant|Sibilant]]s''' are a type of fricative where the airflow is guided by a groove in the tongue toward the teeth, creating a high-pitched and very distinctive sound. These are by far the most common fricatives. Fricatives at [[Coronal consonant|coronal]] (front of tongue) places of articulation are usually, though not always, sibilants. English sibilants include {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}}.
** '''[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]] fricatives''' are a rare type of fricative, where the frication occurs on one or both sides of the edge of the tongue. The "ll" of [[Welsh phonology|Welsh]] and the "hl" of [[Zulu language|Zulu]] are lateral fricatives.
* '''[[Affricate consonant|Affricate]]''', which begins like a stop, but this releases into a fricative rather than having a separate release of its own. The English letters "ch" {{IPA|[t͡ʃ]}} and "j" {{IPA|[d͡ʒ]}} represent affricates. Affricates are quite common around the world, though less common than fricatives.
* '''[[Vibrant consonant|Vibrant]],''' where there are one or more brief occlusions, are a class of consonants that comprises trills and flaps.
** '''[[Flap consonant|Flap]]''', often called a '''tap''', is a momentary closure of the oral cavity. The "tt" of "utter" and the "dd" of "udder" are pronounced as a flap {{IPA|[ɾ]}} in [[North American English|North American]] and [[Australian English]]. Many linguists distinguish ''taps'' from ''flaps'', but there is no consensus on what the difference might be. No language relies on such a difference. There are also '''lateral flaps'''.
** '''[[Trill consonant|Trill]]''', in which the articulator (usually the tip of the tongue) is held in place, and the airstream causes it to vibrate. The double "r" of [[Spanish language|Spanish]] "perro" is a trill.
* '''[[Approximant consonant|Approximant]]''', where there is very little obstruction. Examples include English {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/r/}}. In some languages, such as Spanish, there are sounds that seem to fall between ''fricative'' and ''approximant''.
** One use of the word '''[[semivowel]]''', sometimes called a '''glide''', is a type of approximant, pronounced like a vowel but with the tongue closer to the roof of the mouth, so that there is slight turbulence.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} In English, {{IPA|/w/}} is the semivowel equivalent of the vowel {{IPA|/u/}}, and {{IPA|/j/}} (spelled "y") is the semivowel equivalent of the vowel {{IPA|/i/}} in this usage. Other descriptions use ''semivowel'' for vowel-like sounds that are not syllabic, but do not have the increased stricture of approximants. These are found as elements in [[diphthong]]s. The word may also be used to cover both concepts.  The term '''glide''' is newer than '''semivowel''', being used to indicate an essential quality of sounds such as {{IPA|/w/}} and {{IPA|/j/}}, which is the movement (or '''glide''') from their initial position ({{IPA|/u/}} and {{IPA|/i/}}, respectively) to a following vowel.
** '''[[Lateral consonant|Lateral]] approximants''', usually shortened to '''lateral''', are a type of approximant pronounced with the side of the tongue. English {{IPA|/l/}} is a lateral. Together with the ''rhotics'', which have similar behavior in many languages, these form a class of consonant called '''[[Liquid consonant|liquids]]'''.