noun
- A consonant sound produced by obstructing or blocking the flow of air through the mouth, such as a stop, fricative, or affricate.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
adjective
- Relating to or denoting a consonant sound that is produced by obstructing airflow.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
Examples
- The sounds /p/, /t/, and /k/ are obstruents because they completely block airflow.
- Fricatives like /f/ and /s/ are obstruent consonants that allow some air to escape.
- In phonetics, obstruent sounds contrast with sonorants like vowels and nasals.
- The word 'stop' begins with an obstruent consonant.
- Linguists classify affricates as obstruents because they involve a complete closure followed by friction.