are phonetic constituents that distinguish between phonemes (p. 77). Certain sound properties might be similar between phonemes, others dissimilar. Take [m] and [n] as examples. Both are similar in respect to manner of articulation, both are nasals. However, they are dissimilar in respect to place of articulation, bilabial in the case of [m], alveolar in the case of [n]. These dissimilar features establish [m] and [n] as separate phonemes of General American English. Distinctive features are used to analyze these similarities and dissimilarities. Distinctive features were envisioned as a means to categorize all the speech sounds in all the languages of the world.