A fricative is a type of consonant sound produced by forcing air through a narrow channel in the vocal tract, creating turbulence. Common examples of fricatives in the English language include the sounds represented by the letters f, v, s, z, ʃ (as in "sh"), and ʒ (as in "measure"). Fricatives can be voiced or voiceless. Voiced fricatives, like v and z, involve the vibration of the vocal cords, while voiceless fricatives, like f and s, do not. These sounds play a crucial role in distinguishing words and contributing to the overall phonetic structure of languages.