ejective

linguistics

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June 26, 2026

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In linguistics, an ejective is a type of consonant sound. It is characterized by being uttered with a simultaneous glottal stop. This means that the vocal cords are closed, and the air pressure is built up behind this closure. When the closure is released, the air is expelled forcefully, creating the ejective sound.1

Ejectives are distinct from other types of consonants, such as stops or fricatives, due to this unique method of production involving a glottal stop. While not common in English, ejective consonants are found in various languages around the world.12

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phonetics
Types of airstream
…resulting sound is called an ejective. Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, uses this mechanism to produce both ejective stops and fricatives, which contrast with the more usual stops and fricatives made with a pulmonic airstream mechanism. A downward movement of the glottis is used in the production of implosive…
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…resulting sound is called an ejective. Amharic, the national language of Ethiopia, uses this mechanism to produce both ejective stops and fricatives, which contrast with the more usual stops and fricatives made with a pulmonic airstream mechanism. A downward movement of the glottis is used in the production of implosive…
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Semitic languages
The voiceless, voiced, and emphatic sounds
…are made with an “ejective” pronunciation. For instance, in producing an ejective t the airstream is closed off simultaneously by the front of the tongue (as in the case of a nonejective t) and by the vocal cords, and the release of the closure at the tongue is accompanied…
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…are made with an “ejective” pronunciation. For instance, in producing an ejective t the airstream is closed off simultaneously by the front of the tongue (as in the case of a nonejective t) and by the vocal cords, and the release of the closure at the tongue is accompanied…
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