glottal stop

noun

, Phonetics.

1. a plosive consonant whose occlusion and release are accomplished chiefly at the glottis, as in the Scottish articulation of the t- sound of little, bottle, etc.
2. a stop consonant, without release, having glottal occlusion as a secondary articulation, as in yep for yes, nope for no.

glottal stop

noun

1. a plosive speech sound produced as the sudden onset of a vowel in several languages, such as German, by first tightly closing the glottis and then allowing the air pressure to build up in the trachea before opening the glottis, causing the air to escape with force

Word History and Origins

Origin of glottal stop¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

The backward apostrophe probably represents the glottal stop; the simple apostrophe may indicate the same sound.

From Project Gutenberg