Which of the following is an example of a nasal sound?

• A. s
• B. g
• C. m
• D. f

Answer: (C)

Nasal sounds are produced with air flowing through the nasal cavity, which happens when the velum is lowered to open the nasal port. The bilabial nasal sound on reflection involves closing the lips and voicing, with the air escaping through the nose. That nasal airflow is the defining feature.

The other options are oral sounds: s is an alveolar fricative formed by a narrow groove in the mouth, g is a voiced velar stop produced with oral closure, and f is a voiceless labiodental fricative created by friction at the lips and teeth. None of these use the nasal airflow, so they aren’t nasal sounds.