Which consonants are produced without vibrating the vocal cords?

• A. Voiced consonants
• B. Unvoiced consonants
• C. Nasal consonants
• D. Liquid consonants

Answer: (B)

This question tests voicing—the presence or absence of vocal cord vibration when a consonant is produced. Consonants are voiced if the vocal cords vibrate, and unvoiced (voiceless) if they stay still. The sounds produced without vocal cord vibration include a range of common stops and fricatives, such as p, t, k, f, s, and the th sound in thin. These are heard without a buzzing voice because the cords don’t vibrate. In contrast, nasal and liquid consonants (like m, n, ng, l, r) rely on vocal cord vibration, so they’re typically voiced in English. Since the question points to consonants made without vibrating the cords, the best choice is the unvoiced set.