The creaky-voiced glottal approximant is a
consonant sound in some
languages
Language is a structured system of communication that consists of grammar and vocabulary. It is the primary means by which humans convey meaning, both in spoken and signed forms, and may also be conveyed through writing. Human language is ch ...
. In the
IPA, it is transcribed as , , or .
It involves tension in the
glottis
The glottis (: glottises or glottides) is the opening between the vocal folds (the rima glottidis). The glottis is crucial in producing sound from the vocal folds.
Etymology
From Ancient Greek ''γλωττίς'' (glōttís), derived from ''γ ...
and diminution of airflow, compared to surrounding
vowels
A vowel is a speech sound pronounced without any stricture in the vocal tract, forming the nucleus of a syllable. Vowels are one of the two principal classes of speech sounds, the other being the consonant. Vowels vary in quality, in loudness a ...
, but not full
occlusion.
Features
Features of the creaky-voiced glottal approximant:
*Its phonation is
creaky-voiced.
Occurrence
It is an intervocalic allophone of a
glottal stop
The glottal stop or glottal plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in many Speech communication, spoken languages, produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract or, more precisely, the glottis. The symbol in the International Phonetic ...
in many languages.
See also
*
Voiced glottal fricative
The voiced glottal fricative, sometimes called breathy-voiced glottal transition, is a type of sound used in some spoken languages which patterns like a fricative or approximant consonant '' phonologically'', but often lacks the usual ''phonet ...
Notes
References
*
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Glottal consonants
Approximant consonants
Pulmonic consonants
Voiced oral consonants