Co-articulated consonant
Encyclopedia
Co-articulated consonants or complex consonants are consonants produced with two simultaneous places of articulation
. They may be divided into two classes, doubly articulated consonant
s with two primary places of articulation of the same manner
(both plosive, or both nasal, etc.), and consonants with secondary articulation
, that is, a second articulation not of the same manner.
An example of a doubly articulated consonant is the voiceless labial-velar plosive
[k͡p], which is pronounced simulateously at the velum
(a [k]) and at the lips (a [p]). On the other hand, the voiceless labialized velar plosive [kʷ] has only a single stop articulation, velar
[k], with a simultaneous approximant-like
rounding of the lips.
Except for clicks
, practically all doubly articulated consonants are labial-velars
. However, there is a large number of common secondary articulations. The most frequently encountered are labialization (such as [kʷ]), palatalization
(such as the Russian
"soft" consonant [pʲ]), velarization
(such as the English
"dark" el
[lˠ]), and pharyngealization (such as the Arabic
emphatic consonant
[tˤ]).
As might be expected from the approximant-like nature of secondary articulation, it is not always easy to tell whether a co-articulated approximant consonant
such as /w/ is doubly or secondarily articulated. In some English dialects, for example, /w/ is a labialized velar that could be transcribed as [ɰʷ], but the Japanese /w/ is closer to a true labial-velar, [ɰ͡β̞]. It is common usage to restrict the letter ⟨w⟩ to the former.
The glottis
controls phonation
, and works simultaneously with many consonants. It is not normally considered an articulator, and an ejective
[kʼ], with simultaneous closure of the velum and glottis, is not normally considered to be a co-articulated consonant.
Place of articulation
In articulatory phonetics, the place of articulation of a consonant is the point of contact where an obstruction occurs in the vocal tract between an articulatory gesture, an active articulator , and a passive location...
. They may be divided into two classes, doubly articulated consonant
Doubly articulated consonant
Doubly articulated consonants are consonants with two simultaneous primary places of articulation of the same manner . They are a subset of co-articulated consonants. They are to be distinguished from co-articulated consonants with secondary articulation, that is, a second articulation not of the...
s with two primary places of articulation of the same manner
Manner of articulation
In linguistics, manner of articulation describes how the tongue, lips, jaw, and other speech organs are involved in making a sound. Often the concept is only used for the production of consonants, even though the movement of the articulars will also greatly alter the resonant properties of the...
(both plosive, or both nasal, etc.), and consonants with secondary articulation
Secondary articulation
Secondary articulation refers to co-articulated consonants where the two articulations are not of the same manner. The approximant-like secondary articulation is weaker than the primary, and colors it rather than obscuring it...
, that is, a second articulation not of the same manner.
An example of a doubly articulated consonant is the voiceless labial-velar plosive
Voiceless labial-velar plosive
The voiceless labial–velar plosive is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. It is a and pronounced simultaneously. To make this sound, say Coe, but close your lips as if you were saying Poe; release your lips at the same times as or a fraction of a second after you pronounce...
[k͡p], which is pronounced simulateously at the velum
Velum
Velum may refer to:* Superior medullary velum, part of the nervous system that stretches between parts of the brain* Veil , the veil-like membrane of immature mushrooms extending from the margin of the cap to the stem and torn by growth...
(a [k]) and at the lips (a [p]). On the other hand, the voiceless labialized velar plosive [kʷ] has only a single stop articulation, velar
Velar consonant
Velars are consonants articulated with the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, the back part of the roof of the mouth, known also as the velum)....
[k], with a simultaneous approximant-like
Approximant consonant
Approximants are speech sounds that involve the articulators approaching each other but not narrowly enough or with enough articulatory precision to create turbulent airflow. Therefore, approximants fall between fricatives, which do produce a turbulent airstream, and vowels, which produce no...
rounding of the lips.
Except for clicks
Click consonant
Clicks are speech sounds found as consonants in many languages of southern Africa, and in three languages of East Africa. Examples of these sounds familiar to English speakers are the tsk! tsk! or tut-tut used to express disapproval or pity, the tchick! used to spur on a horse, and the...
, practically all doubly articulated consonants are labial-velars
Labial-velar consonant
Labial–velar consonants are doubly articulated at the velum and the lips. They are sometimes called "labiovelar consonants", a term that can also refer to labialized velars, such as and the approximant ....
. However, there is a large number of common secondary articulations. The most frequently encountered are labialization (such as [kʷ]), palatalization
Palatalization
In linguistics, palatalization , also palatization, may refer to two different processes by which a sound, usually a consonant, comes to be produced with the tongue in a position in the mouth near the palate....
(such as the Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
"soft" consonant [pʲ]), velarization
Velarization
Velarization is a secondary articulation of consonants by which the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the consonant.In the International Phonetic Alphabet, velarization is transcribed by one of three diacritics:...
(such as the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
"dark" el
Velarized alveolar lateral approximant
-See also:* Lateral consonant* Velarization* l-vocalization* Ł...
[lˠ]), and pharyngealization (such as the Arabic
Arabic language
Arabic is a name applied to the descendants of the Classical Arabic language of the 6th century AD, used most prominently in the Quran, the Islamic Holy Book...
emphatic consonant
Emphatic consonant
Emphatic consonant is a term widely used in Semitic linguistics to describe one of a series of obstruent consonants which originally contrasted with series of both voiced and voiceless obstruents. In specific Semitic languages, the members of this series may be realized as pharyngealized,...
[tˤ]).
As might be expected from the approximant-like nature of secondary articulation, it is not always easy to tell whether a co-articulated approximant consonant
Approximant consonant
Approximants are speech sounds that involve the articulators approaching each other but not narrowly enough or with enough articulatory precision to create turbulent airflow. Therefore, approximants fall between fricatives, which do produce a turbulent airstream, and vowels, which produce no...
such as /w/ is doubly or secondarily articulated. In some English dialects, for example, /w/ is a labialized velar that could be transcribed as [ɰʷ], but the Japanese /w/ is closer to a true labial-velar, [ɰ͡β̞]. It is common usage to restrict the letter ⟨w⟩ to the former.
The glottis
Glottal consonant
Glottal consonants, also called laryngeal consonants, are consonants articulated with the glottis. Many phoneticians consider them, or at least the so-called fricative, to be transitional states of the glottis without a point of articulation as other consonants have; in fact, some do not consider...
controls phonation
Phonation
Phonation has slightly different meanings depending on the subfield of phonetics. Among some phoneticians, phonation is the process by which the vocal folds produce certain sounds through quasi-periodic vibration. This is the definition used among those who study laryngeal anatomy and physiology...
, and works simultaneously with many consonants. It is not normally considered an articulator, and an ejective
Ejective consonant
In phonetics, ejective consonants are voiceless consonants that are pronounced with simultaneous closure of the glottis. In the phonology of a particular language, ejectives may contrast with aspirated or tenuis consonants...
[kʼ], with simultaneous closure of the velum and glottis, is not normally considered to be a co-articulated consonant.