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How can voiced and voiceless consonants be distinguished in English?

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Diagram of a human head in profile showing the location of vocal organs and possible places of articulation for speech sounds, with labels for lips, teeth, tongue, palate, uvula, pharynx, and vocal cords, and numbered regions corresponding to types of articulation such as bilabial, alveolar, and velar.
phonetics Diagram depicting the location of human vocal organs and possible places of articulation used for speech.

In phonetics, the distinction between voiced and voiceless consonants is determined by the state of the vocal cords located in the larynx.

  • Voiced consonants: These are produced when the vocal cords are adjusted to a narrow passage, causing them to vibrate as air passes through the glottis. In English, this includes sounds such as b, v, d, z, j, and g, as well as nasals like m and n and the liquid l.12
  • Voiceless consonants: These are produced when the vocal cords are held apart, allowing air to pass through the glottis without vibration. English voiceless consonants include p, f, t, s, sh, ch, and k.12

While the voiced/voiceless contrast is fundamental, English consonants can also be distinguished by other glottal variations, such as aspiration. For example, the p in pin is aspirated—meaning the glottis remains in a voiceless position for a short time after the release of the stop—whereas the p in spin is unaspirated.3