Nasal consonants are speech sounds produced when air flows through the nose while the mouth is closed. Common examples include the sounds represented by the letters m, n, and ŋ (as in "sing"). These sounds occur in many languages and are characterized by their unique resonance, which gives them a distinct quality compared to other consonants. In English, nasal consonants play an important role in word formation and pronunciation. For instance, in the word man, the m sound is nasal, while in no, the n sound is nasal. Understanding nasal consonants helps in learning proper pronunciation and phonetics in various languages.