Features of the voiceless uvular-epiglottal plosive are:
Its
manner of articulation is
occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Since the consonant is also oral, with no
nasal outlet, the airflow is blocked entirely, and the consonant is a
plosive.
Its
place of articulation is
uvular–epiglottal, which means that it is simultaneously articulated with the back part of the
tongue (the dorsum) against the
uvula and the
epiglottis. The laryngeal closure is made and released slightly before the dorsal closure, but they overlap for most of their duration.
Its
phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords. In some languages the vocal cords are actively separated, so it is always voiceless; in others the cords are lax, so that it may take on the voicing of adjacent sounds.
It is an
oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
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.