What is the basic difference between a vowel and a consonant?And give examples for illustration.
【正确答案】:The basic difference between a vowel and a consonant is that in the pronunciation of a vowel,the air that comes from the lungs meets with no obstruction of any kind in the throat,the nose,or the mouth,while in that of a consonant it is obstructed in one way or another.
For example,when a stop [d]is pronounced,the total or complete obstruction is created by the speech organs;when the central vowel [a]is pronounced,the air from the lungs meets with no obstruction,with the central part of the tongue holding highest.