Which term describes a speech sound consisting of a stop and a fricative articulated at the same place of articulation?

• A. Affricative
• B. Fricative
• C. Plosive
• D. Nasal

Answer: (A)

An affricate is produced by briefly stopping the airstream (like a plosive) and then releasing it through a narrow constriction that creates friction (like a fricative). Both stages happen at the same place of articulation, so the sound has a stop closure followed by a frication, all in one gesture. Classic examples are the ch sound in "church" [t͡ʃ] and the j sound in "judge" [d͡ʒ], which embody that combined stop-plus-fricative pattern. The other types don’t fit: fricatives involve a continuous narrow gap without a complete closure, plosives involve a complete closure and a single release without a fricative noise, and nasals involve airflow through the nose with an oral closure but no frication at the oral constriction.