Bilabial stop

In <a href="/facts/Phonetics/ljAVT8fv">phonetics</a> and <a href="/facts/Phonology/qWAsvnok">phonology</a>, a bilabial stop is a type of consonantal sound, made with both lips (hence <a href="/facts/Bilabial_consonant/q2H5MUAe">bilabial</a>), held tightly enough to block the passage of air (hence a <a href="/facts/Stop_consonant/okC9pztc">stop consonant</a>). The most common sounds are the stops [p] and [b], as in English pit and bit, and the voiced nasal [m]. More generally, several kinds are distinguished:

<ul><li>[p], <a href="/facts/Voiceless_bilabial_plosive/w4M9Igp6">voiceless bilabial plosive</a></li>
<li>[b], <a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_plosive/6ReC9arR">voiced bilabial plosive</a></li>
<li>[m], <a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_nasal/1pd7NK2x">voiced bilabial nasal</a></li>
<li>[m̥], <a href="/facts/Voiceless_bilabial_nasal/HfIPem3c">voiceless bilabial nasal</a></li>
<li>[ɓ], <a href="/facts/Voiced_bilabial_implosive/WIkxarTP">voiced bilabial implosive</a></li>
<li>[pʼ], <a href="/facts/Bilabial_ejective/xrN47eFU">bilabial ejective</a> (rare)</li>
<li>[ɓ̥] or [pʼ↓], <a href="/facts/Voiceless_bilabial_implosive/4GVphkew">voiceless bilabial implosive</a> (very rare)</li></ul>

Bilabial stop open-in-new

Bilabial stop