The phonemes that sound the strongest and cleanest are the stops, also known as the plosives.

Every language spoken by humans contains at least a few stops that end with a plosion.

The stoppage of the air is made with the tip of the tongue when making the sounds represented by D and T, as in “dog tail.” Say it with me three times and feel the stoppage by the tip of your tongue in “dog tail, dog tail, dog tail.”

The back of the tongue is used to block the air when making the sounds represented by K and G, as in “Kate Garrison, Kate Garrison, Kate Garrison.”

The lips are used to block the air when making the sounds represented by P and B, as in “Pit Bull, Pit Bull, Pit Bull.”