Voiceless labial-velar fricative
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Template:Infobox IPA The voiceless labial-velar approximant (traditionally called a fricative) is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is W.
Doubly articulated fricatives are very difficult to pronounce, and none have been confirmed from any language. is generally called a "fricative" for historical reasons, but in languages such as English it is actually a voiceless approximant, equivalent to . On rare occasions the symbol is appropriated for a labialized velar fricative, .
Features
Features of the voiceless labial-velar approximant:
- Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by constricting air flow through a channel at the place of articulation that is not narrow enough to cause turbulence.
- Its place of articulation is labial-velar which means it is articulated both with the lips and with the back part of the tongue (the dorsum) against the soft palate (the velum).
- Its phonation type 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.
- It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by allowing the airstream to flow over the middle of the tongue, rather than the sides.
- The airstream mechanism is pulmonic egressive, which means it is articulated by pushing air out of the lungs and through the vocal tract, rather than from the glottis or the mouth.
In English
The voiceless labial-velar approximant occurs in English dialects that distinguish between the words which and witch; it is the sound denoted by the letters 'wh'.
See also