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How can the difference between p and b be heard and felt during speech?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
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.
pronunciation Diagram depicting the location of human vocal organs and possible places of articulation used for speech.

The difference between the sounds /p/ and /b/ is primarily defined by how they are produced in the vocal tract, specifically regarding the state of the vocal cords and the timing of airflow.12

Auditory and Physical Differences

  • Voicing: The sound /b/ is a voiced bilabial stop, meaning the vocal cords vibrate during its production. In contrast, /p/ is a voiceless bilabial stop, produced without vocal cord vibration.13
  • Aspiration: When pronounced in isolation or at the beginning of words, /p/ is typically aspirated, meaning it is accompanied by a forceful, audible puff of air. The sound /b/ is generally unaspirated.243
  • Muscular Tension: The production of /b/ typically involves less muscular tension in the vocal apparatus compared to /p/.3

How to Feel the Difference

You can physically perceive these differences by placing your fingers gently against your throat while speaking:
* Vibration: If you say "bee," you should feel a distinct vibration in your throat caused by the vocal cords, which is absent or significantly reduced when you say "pea".3
* Airflow: If you place your hand in front of your mouth, you can feel the stronger burst of air (aspiration) associated with the /p/ in "pea" compared to the /b/ in "bee".34