"Place of articulation" refers to the specific location in the vocal tract where airflow is obstructed to produce different speech sounds. It helps categorize consonants based on where the tongue, lips, or other parts of the mouth come together. For example, sounds like p and b are produced by bringing the lips together, while t and d are made by placing the tongue against the alveolar ridge behind the upper front teeth. Understanding place of articulation is essential in linguistics and phonetics, as it aids in analyzing how different languages produce sounds. Each language may have unique places of articulation, contributing to its distinct phonetic inventory. For instance, k is produced at the back of the mouth, while f is articulated with the upper teeth and lower lip.