Plosives = stops. ... The obstruction is then removed (in this case, by the lips parting) and the air rushes out of the mouth with a slight explosive force, hence the name plosive. Because plosives are made by a complete obstruction that briefly stops the airflow, they are also referred to as stops or stop consonants.

Why are some sounds called stop or plosive?

"Stop" refers to the airflow that is stopped. "Occlusive" refers to the articulation, which occludes (blocks) the vocal tract. "Plosive" refers to the release burst (plosion) of the consonant.

Why are p/b t/d k g called stops?

In phonetic terminology the sounds associated with p, b are called bilabial plosives because their pronunciation requires bringing the two lips together; the sounds associated with t, d are called dental or alveolar plosives because the tongue closes against the upper teeth or the skin covering the roots (alveoli) of ...