The voiced labial–velar approximant is a type of
consonant
In articulatory phonetics, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract. Examples are and pronounced with the lips; and pronounced with the front of the tongue; and pronounced w ...
al sound, used in certain
spoken language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of ...
s, including English. It is the sound denoted by the letter in the English alphabet;
[; ''see'' the examples on the fifth page.] likewise, the symbol in the
International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin script. It was devised by the International Phonetic Association in the late 19th century as a standardized representation ...
that represents this sound is , or rarely , and the equivalent
X-SAMPA symbol is
w. In most languages it is the
semivocalic counterpart of the
close back rounded vowel
The close back rounded vowel, or high back rounded vowel, is a type of vowel sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is u.
I ...
. In inventory charts of languages with other
labialized velar consonant
A labialized velar or labiovelar is a velar consonant that is labialized, with a -like secondary articulation. Common examples are , which are pronounced like a , with rounded lips, such as the labialized voiceless velar plosive and labialize ...
s, will be placed in the same column as those consonants. When consonant charts have only labial and velar columns, may be placed in the velar column, (bi)labial column, or both. The placement may have more to do with phonological criteria than phonetic ones.
Some languages have a voiced labial–prevelar approximant, which is more fronted than the place of articulation of the prototypical voiced labialized velar approximant, though not as front as the prototypical
labialized palatal approximant
Labialization is a secondary articulatory feature of sounds in some languages. Labialized sounds involve the lips while the remainder of the oral cavity produces another sound. The term is normally restricted to consonants. When vowels involv ...
.
Features
Features of the voiced labial–velar approximant:
The type of approximant is ''glide'' or ''semivowel''. The term ''glide'' emphasizes the characteristic of movement (or 'glide') of from the vowel position to a following vowel position. The term ''semivowel'' emphasizes that, although the sound is vocalic in nature, it is not 'syllabic' (it does not form the nucleus of a syllable).
Some languages, such as
Japanese and perhaps the Northern
Iroquoian languages
The Iroquoian languages are a language family of indigenous peoples of North America. They are known for their general lack of labial consonants. The Iroquoian languages are polysynthetic and head-marking.
As of 2020, all surviving Iroquoian ...
, have a sound typically transcribed as where the lips are
compressed (or at least not rounded), which is a true
labial–velar (as opposed to labialized velar) consonant. Close transcriptions may avoid the symbol in such cases, or may use the under-rounding diacritic, .
Occurrence
See also
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Voiceless labial–velar approximant
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Nasal labial–velar approximant
Notes
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Voiced labial-velar approximant
Labial–velar consonants
Voiced oral consonants
Central consonants
Pulmonic consonants