VOICED AND UNVOICED CONSONANTS

Abstract

The study of phonetics and phonology is essential for understanding how sounds are produced, perceived, and categorized in human languages. One of the fundamental distinctions in phonetics is between voiced and unvoiced consonants, which play a critical role in both language comprehension and production. Voicing refers to whether or not the vocal cords vibrate when a sound is produced. This distinction is not just a matter of pronunciation; it also serves to differentiate words and meanings within a language. In English, for example, the words "bat" and "pat" differ only in their voicing of the initial consonant, but this small difference results in two completely different meanings.