We stated that in consonant sounds the airflow is interrupted, diverted or restricted as it passes the oral cavity. The respective modifications that are made to a sound are referred to as their manner of articulation. The manner of articulation, therefore, describes how the different speech organs are involved in producing a consonant sound, basically how the airflow is obstructed. Thus, the manner of articulation is a distinctive feature in the English language.

What are the different manner of articulation?

Consonants: Speech sounds created by a partial or total closure of the vocal tract.

Vowels: Speech sounds produced without stricture in the vocal tract.

The concept of manner is mainly used in the discussion of consonants, although the movement of the articulators will also greatly alter the resonant properties of the vocal tract, thereby changing the formant structure of speech sounds that is crucial for the identification of vowels. For consonants, the place of articulation and the degree of phonation of voicing are considered separately from manner, as being independent parameters. Homorganic consonants, which have the same place of articulation, may have different manners of articulation. Often nasality and laterality are included in manner, but some phoneticians, such as Peter Ladefoged, consider them to be independent.

The air can be obstructed partially or completely warranting different manners of release. In what follows, we shall discuss the  different manner of articulation of each phoneme.

Six Manners of Articulation With description. 1-Plosives / stops. 2-Affricates. 3-Nasal. 4-Fricatives. 5-Lateral. 6-Approximate.

Like nasal consonants, stop consonants occur when the vocal tract is closed completely. But for stops the airflow is NOT redirected through the nose. Instead, the air quickly builds up pressure behind the articulators and then releases in a burst.

Fricative

While nasal and stop consonants involve a complete blockage of the vocal tract, fricative sounds involve only a partial blockage of the vocal tract so that air has to be forced through a narrow channel.

Affricate

When stop consonants mix with fricative consonants, the result is an affricate consonant. Affricate consonants start as stop sounds with air building up behind an articulator which then releases through a narrow channel as a fricative (instead of a clean burst as stops do).

Approximant

Approximants are when two articulators come close together but not quite close enough to create air turbulence. 

Lateral

Lateral consonants are when the tongue blocks the the middle of your mouth so that air has to pass around the sides. 

The first manner of articulation is the plosives or the “oral stops.” In this process, airflow is temporarily discontinued in order to produce a sound. For example, for creating the “t” sound, a person must bring his upper and lower teeth together, with the tongue behind, and a burst of air forces the teeth open, thereby sound the “t.”

Stop
occur when the vocal tract is closed completely. But for stops the airflow is NOT redirected through the nose. Instead, the air quickly builds up pressure behind the articulators and then releases in a burst.

Fricative.
While nasal and stop consonants involve a complete blockage of the vocal tract, fricative sounds involve only a partial blockage of the vocal tract so that air has to be forced through a narrow channel.

Affricate.
When stop consonants mix with fricative consonants, the result is an affricate consonant. Affricate consonants start as stop sounds with air building up behind an articulator which then releases through a narrow channel as a fricative (instead of a clean burst as stops do).

Approximant.
Approximants are when two articulators come close together but not quite close enough to create air turbulence.  

The resulting sound is more like a fast vowel than anything else.

Lateral. 
Lateral consonants are when the tongue blocks the the middle of your mouth so that air has to pass around the sides. 

Plosives are also known as stops.

The plosive phonemes of the English language are /p/ /b/ /t/ /d/ /k/ /g/.

In the production of these phonemes, the articulators are usually completely held together causing causing a total obstruction of the airstream  for a short period.

The airstream therein, builds a very strong pressure behind the point of closure; the air escapes with a maximum force in form of explosion.

There are three types of stops commonly described. They are:

Plosive stops; usually produced with the pulmonic eggressive airstream.

Ejective stop; /ʔ/ produced with the glottalic eggressive airstream.

Implosives; /ɱ/ produced with the glottalic eggressive airstream.

In the production of the fricatives, the articulators come very close narrowing the air passage.

The airstream is obstructed partially causing audible friction or turbulence.

Examples of fricatives are: /f/ /v/ /s/ /z/ /ʃ/  

/ʒ/ /θ/ /ð/ /h/

Affricates are sounds produced by a combination of a stop closure and a fricative release, (i.e., stop + fricative = affricate).

The production of affricates starts from a complete closure of the air passage when the tongue moves to the region of the alveolar ridge.

The tongue gradually slips to the region of the palate letting out the air gradually from the oral cavity.

Affricates are obstructs but non-continuants due to the complete stoppage of the speech sound.

Examples of affricates sounds are /tʃ/ and /dʒ/

Nasals 

A sound is nasal when the speech air escapes through the nose.

The production of the nasal sound causes the lowering of the velum and an obstruction somewhere in the oral cavity.

The nasal sounds are termed sonorant.

The airstream resonates as it passes out through the nose.

Examples of nasal sounds are /m/ /n/ /ŋ/

Examples of approximants are /w/ and /j/. 

In the production of approximants, the articulators come very close without observable contact.

There is no obstruction of the airstream even though, the speech air passage is usually narrowed.

Approximants are also known as semivowels.

Nasal consonants are created when you completely block air flow through your mouth and let the air pass through your nose.

Stop

Like nasal consonants, stop consonants occur when the vocal tract is closed completely. But for stops the airflow is NOT redirected through the nose. Instead, the air quickly builds up pressure behind the articulators and then releases in a burst.

Fricative

While nasal and stop consonants involve a complete blockage of the vocal tract, fricative sounds involve only a partial blockage of the vocal tract so that air has to be forced through a narrow channel.

For example, you create a /t/ stop consonant when you block airflow completely with your tongue against the alveolar ridge. 

Affricate

When stop consonants mix with fricative consonants, the result is an affricate consonant. Affricate consonants start as stop sounds with air building up behind an articulator which then releases through a narrow channel as a fricative (instead of a clean burst as stops do).

Approximant

Approximants are when two articulators come close together but not quite close enough to create air turbulence.  

The resulting sound is more like a fast vowel than anything else. For example, the /w/ approximant is like a fast /u/ sound (say /u/ + /aɪ/ really fast and you get the word “why”). Notice how your tongue never actually comes in contact with the top of your mouth.

Lateral

Lateral consonants are when the tongue blocks the the middle of your mouth so that air has to pass around the sides. You create this when you 

There is one lateral consonant in English

The way in which the airstream, usually from the lungs, is interfered with in order to produce a speech sound.

In NAE, there are six manners of articulation: Stop, Fricative, Affricate, Nasal, Liquid, and Glide.

Plosives require total obstruction of airflow. 

Nasals require air to flow out of the nose.

Trills are made by rapid succession of contact between articulators that obstruct airflow.

A tap or flap is like trill, except that there is only one rapid contact between the articulators. 

A fricative is formed when the stricture is very narrow so that when air flows out, a hissing noise is made. 

An approximant is a phone made when the obstruction of airflow does not produce any audible friction.

A lateral is made when air flows out of the sides of the mouth.