Definition

Noun: 1. The terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant: In phonetics, "plosion" refers to the audible burst or release of air that occurs when the closure for a stop consonant (like /p/, /t/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/) is suddenly opened.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The phonetics class studied the precise moment of plosion in the articulation of the /t/ sound.
  • In some languages, the plosion of final stop consonants can be very weak or even absent.

Advanced Usage

• "Incomplete plosion": A phenomenon where the release of a stop consonant is not fully realized, often occurring when a stop is followed by another consonant.
  • In the phrase "act two," the /t/ often has an incomplete plosion.
• "Nasal plosion": The release of a stop consonant through the nasal cavity, which can occur when a stop is followed by a nasal sound.
  • The /d/ in "sudden" can be produced with nasal plosion.

Variants and Related Words

• Plosive (n): A consonant sound produced by stopping the airflow and then releasing it with a plosion (e.g., /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /k/, /g/).
  • The sounds /p/ and /b/ are both bilabial plosives.
• Implosion (n): The inward rush of air in the articulation of certain sounds, contrasting with the outward release of a plosion.
  • Some languages utilize implosive consonants.

Synonyms

• Release (n): In phonetics, the act of ending the closure of a consonant, allowing air to flow again.
• Burst (n): A term sometimes used interchangeably with "plosion" to describe the sudden release.

Related Terms (Phonetic Context)

• Stop consonant (n): A consonant sound characterized by the complete obstruction of airflow in the vocal tract, which is then released.
• Occlusive (n/adj): Another term for a stop consonant, focusing on the complete closure (occlusion) of the vocal tract.

Noun

1. the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant