Plosives are a type of consonant sound produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract, then releasing it suddenly. Common examples of plosives in English include the sounds represented by the letters p, b, t, d, k, and g. These sounds are characterized by a build-up of pressure followed by a burst of air, making them distinct and impactful in speech. In phonetics, plosives are classified as stops because they stop the airflow completely before being released. They can be voiced, like b and d, where the vocal cords vibrate, or voiceless, like p and t, where they do not. Understanding plosives is essential for studying speech sounds and language pronunciation.