STOPS

STOPS

A STOP occurs when the exhaled air is completely blocked for a brief moment at the point of
articulation. It cannot get out through either the nose or mouth. The major stops are [b] & [p]
(bilabial), [d] & [t] (alveolar), [ɡ] & [k] (velar), and [ʔ] (glottal). There are voiced and
voiceless stops.

1. Voiced Stops [b], [d] and [ɡ]

A voiced stop requires the vocal folds to vibrate as air passes over them. This means that
there is air movement but all exits are closed. As the voiced stop is produced, air fills the oral
cavity (cheeks, back of mouth) momentarily. Then it is released.
English speakers vary greatly in the amount of voicing they give to the voiced stops in their
language. As you pronounce the following words, pay attention to the rumble in your throat.
Place your fingers on your larynx or cover your ears. You will be able to feel and hear the
vibration in your throat.

2. Exaggerate the Voicing of the Initial Stops in Each Word

Barry’s ball-batting’s better.
Dotty doesn’t dance divinely.
Gary got good grades.

Voiceless Aspirated Stops [pʰ], [tʰ] and [kʰ]

In linguistics ASPIRATION means a puff of air. A stop is ASPIRATED when there is a
slight puff of air immediately following the release of the stop. English speakers control
aspirated stops very naturally at the beginning of words, so this is no problem for them. Say
the following words while holding the back of your hand in front of your mouth and notice
the puff of air that follows the release of each stop.
Aspiration is written phonetically by a raised “h” immediately following the stop. [pʰ, tʰ, kʰ].

Voiceless Unaspirated Stops [p], [t] and [k]

A stop is UNASPIRATED when there is no puff of air after release of the stop. Producing
unaspirated stops at the beginning of words is not natural for native English speakers because
none occur in word-initial position. However, they do occur immediately following [s].