Editing Tap and flap consonants (section)

==Contrast with stops and trills==
The main difference between a tap or flap and a [[stop consonant|stop]] is that in a tap/flap there is no buildup of air pressure behind the [[place of articulation]] and consequently no [[release (phonetics)|release]] burst. Otherwise a tap/flap is similar to a brief stop.

Taps and flaps also contrast with [[Trill consonant|trills]], where the airstream causes the articulator to vibrate. Trills may be realized as a single contact, like a tap or flap, but are variable, whereas a tap/flap is limited to a single contact. When a trill is brief and made with a single contact it is sometimes erroneously described as an (allophonic) tap/flap, but a true tap or flap is an active articulation whereas a trill is a passive articulation. That is, for a tap or flap the tongue makes an active gesture to contact the target place of articulation, whereas with a trill the contact is due to the vibration caused by the airstream rather than any active movement.