Final answer:
Consonant phonemes are characterized by their place and manner of articulation, such as whether a sound is produced with the lips or tongue and as a plosive or fricative, among other characteristics.
Step-by-step explanation:
Consonant phonemes are described by their place and manner of articulation. In the study of phonetics, when describing how consonant sounds are produced, we refer to the place of articulation, which is the point where the airflow is obstructed, such as the lips, tongue, or teeth. The manner of articulation describes how the sound is made, such as whether it's a plosive, fricative, or nasal sound.
For example, the consonant sound [p], as in the word 'pat', is a plosive or stop sound made by blocking the airflow with the lips and then releasing it. Similarly, the sound [t], as in 'tap', is another plosive made by blocking the airflow, this time with the tongue against the alveolar ridge, just behind the teeth.