= Nasal consonant
A <nasal consonant> combines a constriction or closure in the mouth with an open airflow route through the nose. Lowering the <soft palate> opens that route; the mouth can remain closed at the <consonant>'s <place of articulation>. A sustained `[m]` therefore produces <sound> despite closed <lips>, whereas closing both routes stops sustained outward flow.<Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition) by Catherine Anderson and others>[§3.4, nasal stops and the oral/nasal airflow distinction]{ref}
Compare `[m]`, `[n]` and `[ŋ]`. They share a nasal <manner of articulation>, while their oral closures occupy different places. Comparing `[m]` with `[b]` instead holds the bilabial closure approximately fixed while changing the available airflow route. <Voicing> and the resonant <vocal tract> shape the recorded signal; the written letter alone does not specify those physical properties.
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