Characteristics of the English plosives

Plosive consonants are formed by completely closing the air passage, then compressing the air and suddenly opening the passage, so that the air escapes making an explosive sound.

There are three stages in the articulation of a plosive consonant:

the closing stage, during which the articulating organs are brought close together forming the obstruction;
the hold or compression stage, during which the air is compressed behind this obstacle due to the lung action;
the release or explosion stage, during which the organs forming the obstruction part rapidly, and the compressed air escapes abruptly with explosion.

The English plosives are /p/b/t/d/k/g/.

The main features of the plosives are:

1. Place of articulation:

bilabial /p/b/
alveolar /t/d/
velar /k/g/
glottal /ʔ/

2. Force of articulation: /p/t/k/ are pronounced with greater muscular energy and stronger breath effort than /b/d/g/. The former are called fortis, the latter lenis.

3. Aspiraiton – the fortis consonants in initial stressed position are aspired /p/t/k/. When /l/r/w/j/ follow /p/t/k/, the aspiration is evident in the devoicing of /l/r/w/j/ as in light, tree, price, climb, twist, quick, pew, tune, queue. When /s/ precedes /p/t/k/ aspiration does not occur, as in sport, speak, spot.