A consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Consonants are letters that represent certain speech sounds, specifically sounds that involve blocking the air before it leaves the mouth, such as with the tongue, lips, or throat. Most letters of the English alphabet are consonants, except for a, e, i, o, and u, which are vowels. Consonants play a significant role in both spelling and pronunciation, as well as writing where sound is important, like poetry or music lyrics.
Some key points about consonants include:
- Consonants are speech sounds that are not vowels.
- Consonants require specific positions of the lips, tongue, and cheeks.
- There are 21 consonants in the English alphabet: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z.
- Consonants can be divided into two subcategories: continuants, which are the sounds that can be prolonged, and plosives, which are the sounds that cannot be prolonged.
In summary, a consonant is a speech sound that involves blocking the air before it leaves the mouth, and is represented by certain letters in the English alphabet.
