Definition

Noun: A speech sound produced by allowing air to escape through the nose while blocking the oral cavity (mouth) with the tongue or lips.

Usage

A nasal consonant is a specific type of consonant sound in phonetics. It is characterized by the lowering of the velum (the soft palate at the back of the roof of the mouth), which opens the nasal passage. The airflow, which is voiced (caused by vocal cord vibration) in the most common nasal consonants, is directed out through the nose.

Examples

• In English, the sounds represented by the letters , , and (as in "sing") are nasal consonants.
• The words "map," "nap," and "ring" each begin or end with a different nasal consonant.
• Many languages, such as French and Portuguese, have a greater variety of nasal consonants than English.

Advanced Usage

• Nasalization: This is a related but distinct concept where a vowel or other sound is produced with simultaneous nasal airflow. A true involves a complete oral closure.
• Place of Articulation: are categorized by where the oral blockage occurs: bilabial (), alveolar (), or velar ().

Variants and Related Words

• Nasal (adjective): Of or relating to the nose. Can also be used as a noun to mean a or a nasal vowel.
  • The word "nose" itself begins with a nasal sound.
• Nasalize (verb): To produce a sound with nasal airflow.
  • Some speakers nasalize vowels before nasal consonants.

Synonyms

• Nasal (when used as a noun in phonetics)
• Nasal stop (a more precise phonetic term, as the oral closure is complete like a "stop" consonant)

Related Terms (Not synonyms, but part of the same conceptual field)

• Oral consonant: A consonant produced with the velum raised, blocking the nasal passage, so air escapes only through the mouth (e.g., , , ).
• Stop consonant / Plosive: A consonant produced by completely blocking airflow and then releasing it (e.g., , , ). The oral stops (, , ) are the oral counterparts to the nasal stops (, , ).

Noun

1. a consonant produced through the nose with the mouth closed