Final answer:
The sequence of acoustic characteristics for a voiceless stop consonant in a VCV context is closure, transient release, aspiration, and frication, as noted in option (c). These phonetic stages occur between the end of one vowel and the beginning of the next.
Step-by-step explanation:
In phonetics, particularly within the context of a voiceless stop consonant in a VCV (vowel-consonant-vowel) context, the correct order of acoustic characteristics between the end of the first vowel (V1) and the start of the second vowel (V2) is closure, transient release, aspiration, and frication. This sequence describes the process by which the vocal tract closes to form the stop, a brief moment of release that generates a burst of noise, a period of aspiration as air passes through the vocal tract, and then a friction-like sound if the stop is followed by a fricative. Considering voiceless stops such as [p], [t], and [k], the correct sequence is indicated by option (c): closure, transient release, frication, aspiration.