Understanding Postvocalic Consonants: A Guide to Pronunciation and Word Structure

Postvocalic refers to a type of consonantal sound that occurs after a vowel in a word. In other words, it is a consonant that follows a vowel. Postvocalic consonants are often pronounced differently than prevocalic consonants, which are consonants that occur before a vowel.

For example, in the word "cat," the "t" is a postvocalic consonant because it occurs after the vowel "a." In contrast, the "c" is a prevocalic consonant because it occurs before the vowel "a."

Postvocalic consonants can be either voiced or voiceless, depending on the specific sound. For example, the "b" in "bat" is a voiced postvocalic consonant, while the "t" in "cat" is an unvoiced postvocalic consonant.

Understanding the difference between postvocalic and prevocalic consonants can help you improve your pronunciation and understanding of English words.