Epiglottal plosive

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Epiglottal plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) that represents this sound is ⟨ʡ⟩. This sound is not found in English but is present in languages such as Agul, a language spoken in Dagestan, Russia. The epiglottal plosive is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Specifically, it is articulated with the epiglottis against the pharynx.

Articulation

The articulation of the epiglottal plosive involves the epiglottis, which is a leaf-shaped flap of cartilage located behind the tongue at the top of the larynx. To produce the sound, the epiglottis is pressed against the pharynx, completely blocking the airflow. Then, the air pressure is built up in the oral cavity and released as the epiglottis moves away from the pharynx, creating a plosive sound.

Characteristics

• Voicing: The epiglottal plosive can be voiceless, with no vibration of the vocal cords, or voiced, with vibration of the vocal cords.
• Place of Articulation: Epiglottal, which means it is articulated with the epiglottis against the pharynx.
• Manner of Articulation: Plosive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract.

Occurrence

The epiglottal plosive is a rare sound across languages. It is found in some Caucasian languages and in certain dialects of Arabic. Its rarity makes it a point of interest for phonetics and linguistics researchers studying the diversity of human speech sounds and their articulation.

See also

• Phonetics
• International Phonetic Alphabet
• Consonant
• List of phonetics topics