Voiceless velar implosive

IPA Unicode 0x0199

Voiceless velar implosive is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. It is part of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), denoted by the symbol ⟨ʠ̊⟩ or ⟨kʼ↓⟩. This sound is not found in most languages and is relatively rare. It involves a voiceless articulation, which means the vocal cords do not vibrate during the production of the sound. The sound is classified as an implosive consonant, which means it is produced by inhaling air rather than exhaling as in most sounds.

Articulation

The articulation of the voiceless velar implosive involves several coordinated actions in the vocal tract:

• The articulation is velar, meaning the back of the tongue approaches or touches the soft palate (also known as the velum).
• It is implosive, indicating that it is produced by pulling air inward by lowering the larynx, rather than by pushing air out from the lungs.
• Being voiceless, the vocal cords remain apart, and thus, do not vibrate during the articulation of this sound.

Characteristics

The voiceless velar implosive is characterized by:

• Its rarity among the world's languages.
• Its production mechanism, which involves a rare combination of velar articulation with an implosive airstream mechanism, without vocal fold vibration.

Occurrence

The voiceless velar implosive is extremely rare. It is reported in some languages of Africa and perhaps in some languages of the Americas, but its presence is often subject to phonetic and phonological debate. The specifics of its distribution and usage in these languages can vary significantly.

Phonetic and Phonological Aspects

In phonetic terms, the voiceless velar implosive is interesting because it combines features (implosion and voicelessness) that are not commonly associated. Phonologically, it can pose challenges for language description and theory, particularly in terms of its representation and its role in the phonemic inventory of languages in which it occurs.

See Also

• Implosive consonant
• Voiceless consonant
• Velar consonant
• International Phonetic Alphabet