Voiceless consonants are sounds produced without vibrating the vocal cords. When pronouncing these consonants, the airflow is obstructed by the tongue, lips, or teeth, but the vocal cords remain still. Common examples of voiceless consonants include p, t, k, s, and f. In contrast to voiced consonants, which involve vocal cord vibration, voiceless consonants create a clearer and sharper sound. They play a crucial role in distinguishing words in languages. For instance, the difference between pat and bat lies in the voiceless p and the voiced b.