Voiced alveolar implosive

IPA Unicode 0x0257

Voiced Alveolar Implosive is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) that represents this sound is ⟨ɗ⟩. It is distinct from the voiced alveolar stop, represented by ⟨d⟩ in the IPA, primarily because it is produced with an implosive mechanism.

Production

The voiced alveolar implosive is produced by first closing the alveolar ridge with the tongue tip or blade (just behind the upper front teeth), similar to the production of a voiced alveolar stop. However, unlike the stop, the vocal cords vibrate during the entire articulation of the implosive. The distinctive feature of the implosive is that it is initiated by a downward movement of the larynx, creating a negative air pressure in the vocal tract. This negative pressure draws air inward as the oral closure is released, resulting in the characteristic implosive sound. This mechanism is in contrast to the typical pulmonic egressive airflow used in most consonants, where air is expelled from the lungs.

Features

The key features of the voiced alveolar implosive can be summarized as follows:

• Its manner of articulation is implosive, which means it is produced by pulling air inwards through the mouth.
• Its place of articulation is alveolar, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge.
• Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.
• It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
• Because the sound is not produced with airflow from the lungs, it is categorized as a non-pulmonic consonant.

Occurrence

The voiced alveolar implosive is found in various languages around the world, including certain languages of Africa and Southeast Asia. For example, it is a phonemic sound in Sindhi, a language spoken in Pakistan and India, and in some dialects of Hausa, a widely spoken language in West Africa. Its presence or absence can be a distinguishing feature among dialects of the same language or among different languages within the same region.

See Also

• Implosive consonant
• Alveolar consonant
• Voiced dental and alveolar stops