Uvular consonant

A type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages

Uvular Consonant

Diagram of places of articulation, including the uvular region

A uvular consonant is a type of consonant articulated with the back of the tongue against or near the uvula, which is located at the back of the oral cavity. Uvular consonants are found in various languages around the world, though they are relatively rare compared to other types of consonants.

Articulation

Uvular consonants are produced by the contact between the back of the tongue and the uvula. This place of articulation is located further back in the mouth than the velar consonants, which are articulated with the back of the tongue against the soft palate.

Types of Uvular Consonants

Uvular consonants can be classified into several types based on their manner of articulation:

• Uvular plosives: These are produced by obstructing airflow, then releasing it. An example is the voiceless uvular plosive [q].
• Uvular fricatives: These are produced by forcing air through a narrow channel, causing turbulence. Examples include the voiceless uvular fricative [_] and the voiced uvular fricative [_].
• Uvular nasals: These are produced with airflow through the nose. An example is the uvular nasal [_].
• Uvular trills: These involve the uvula vibrating against the back of the tongue. An example is the voiced uvular trill [_].

Occurrence in Languages

Uvular consonants are found in several language families, including:

• Semitic languages, such as Arabic and Hebrew, which use uvular fricatives.
• Caucasian languages, such as Georgian, which include uvular plosives and fricatives.
• Some Indigenous languages of the Americas, such as Inuktitut, which use uvular plosives and nasals.

Phonetic Characteristics

Uvular consonants are characterized by their distinct place of articulation, which can affect the acoustic properties of the sounds. They often have a lower frequency resonance compared to more anterior consonants, such as alveolar consonants.

Related Pages

• Consonant
• Place of articulation
• Velar consonant
• Phonetics