Epiglottal stop

Updated on Dec 25, 2023

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IPA number 173 Unicode (hex) U+02A1		Entity (decimal) ʡ X-SAMPA >\

The epiglottal or pharyngeal stop is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ʡ⟩.

Epiglottal and pharyngeal consonants occur at the same place of articulation. Esling (2010) describes the sound covered by the term "epiglottal plosive" as an "active closure by the aryepiglottic pharyngeal stricture mechanism" – that is, a stop produced by the aryepiglottic folds within the pharynx.

Features

Features of the epiglottal stop:

Its manner of articulation is occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Since the consonant is also oral, with no nasal outlet, the airflow is blocked entirely, and the consonant is a stop.

Its place of articulation is epiglottal, which means it is articulated with the aryepiglottic folds against the epiglottis.

It has no defined phonation, although it is typically voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords. Voiced epiglottal "stops" tend toward being epiglottal flaps.

It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.

Because the sound is not produced with airflow over the tongue, the central–lateral dichotomy does not apply.

The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.

References

Epiglottal stop Wikipedia

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