ALTA National Registration Practice Exam 2025 – Comprehensive Prep Guide

Question: 1 / 400

A sound like /k/ and /t/ would fall into which category?

Affricate

Stop

The sounds /k/ and /t/ are categorized as stops because they share a defining characteristic: they involve a complete obstruction of airflow in the vocal tract during their production. This obstruction occurs at specific points—/k/ is produced by stopping airflow at the back of the mouth (using the back of the tongue against the soft palate), while /t/ is articulated by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge at the front of the mouth.

Once the obstruction is released, the sound is produced explosively, creating a burst of sound. This process characterizes stop consonants, which contrast with other categories like fricatives (which are produced with a continuous airflow creating turbulence) or liquids (which involve a relatively open vocal tract). Affricates, while also involving a stop, require a subsequent fricative release, which does not apply to /k/ and /t/.

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Liquid

Fricative

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