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a specific type of consonant sound that begins as a stop consonant and releases into a fricative, characterized by a brief period of complete closure followed by a slow release of air
What is an "affricate"?
An affricate is a type of consonant sound that begins as a stop, where the airflow is completely blocked, and then releases into a fricative, where the airflow is partially obstructed, creating a turbulent sound. Affricates combine these two manners of articulation within the same sound. In English, examples of affricates include the "ch" sound in "church" and the "j" sound in "judge." Affricates are important in phonetics because they contribute to the richness of sounds in a language and help distinguish between different words based on pronunciation.
