Retroflex consonant

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Retroflex

== Retroflex Consonant ==

A retroflex consonant is a type of consonant used in some spoken languages. The term "retroflex" refers to the articulation of these sounds, which involves curling the tongue back towards the roof of the mouth. Retroflex consonants are characterized by their distinctive place of articulation, which is typically the postalveolar region of the mouth.

Articulation

Retroflex consonants are produced by curling the tongue tip or blade back to touch or approach the postalveolar region, which is located just behind the alveolar ridge. This articulation can vary slightly depending on the specific language and the particular retroflex sound being produced. The primary types of retroflex consonants include:

• Retroflex stops (e.g., [ʈ], [ɖ])
• Retroflex nasals (e.g., [ɳ])
• Retroflex laterals (e.g., [ɭ])
• Retroflex fricatives (e.g., [ʂ], [ʐ])
• Retroflex approximants (e.g., [ɻ])

Occurrence in Languages

Retroflex consonants are found in various languages around the world. They are particularly common in the languages of the Indian subcontinent, such as Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. They also occur in some Australian Aboriginal languages, Mandarin Chinese, and certain Scandinavian languages.

Phonetic Transcription

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), retroflex consonants are represented by specific symbols. For example, the retroflex stop sounds are transcribed as [ʈ] for the voiceless retroflex stop and [ɖ] for the voiced retroflex stop. The retroflex nasal is transcribed as [ɳ], and the retroflex lateral approximant is transcribed as [ɭ].

Related Phonetic Concepts

Retroflex consonants are part of a broader category of coronal consonants, which are articulated with the flexible front part of the tongue. They are often contrasted with other coronal consonants such as alveolar consonants and postalveolar consonants.

See Also

• Consonant
• Place of articulation
• International Phonetic Alphabet
• Coronal consonant
• Alveolar consonant
• Postalveolar consonant