Manner of articulation refers to how speech sounds are produced in the vocal tract. It describes the way airflow is obstructed or modified when creating different sounds. For example, in English, sounds can be classified as stops, fricatives, or nasals, depending on how the airflow is managed. In a stop sound, like the letter "p," airflow is completely blocked before being released. In contrast, a fricative sound, such as "s," allows air to flow continuously through a narrow constriction. Understanding manner of articulation helps in studying phonetics and improving language pronunciation.