Its
manner of articulation is
occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Because the consonant is also
nasal, the blocked airflow is redirected through the nose.
Its
place of articulation is
retroflex, which prototypically means it is articulated
subapical (with the tip of the tongue curled up), but more generally, it means that it is
postalveolar without being
palatalized. That is, besides the prototypical subapical articulation, the tongue can be
apical (pointed) or, in some fricatives,
laminal (flat).
Its
phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords.
It is a
nasal consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the nose, either exclusively (
nasal stops) or in addition to through the mouth.
It is a
central consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.