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
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 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.