Voiced velar fricative | |||
---|---|---|---|
ɣ | |||
IPA number | 141 | ||
Audio sample | |||
Encoding | |||
Entity (decimal) | ɣ | ||
Unicode (hex) | U+0263 | ||
X-SAMPA | G | ||
Braille | |||
|
Voiced velar tapped fricative | |
---|---|
ɡ̞̆ | |
ɣ̆ |
The voiced velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound that is used in various spoken languages. It is not found in most varieties of Modern English but existed in Old English.[1] The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ɣ⟩, a Latinized variant of the Greek letter gamma, ⟨γ⟩, which has this sound in Modern Greek. It should not be confused with the graphically-similar ⟨ɤ⟩, the IPA symbol for a close-mid back unrounded vowel, which some writings[2] use for the voiced velar fricative.
The symbol ⟨ɣ⟩ is also sometimes used to represent the velar approximant, which, however, is more accurately written with the lowering diacritic: [ɣ̞] or [ɣ˕]. The IPA also provides a dedicated symbol for a velar approximant, [ɰ].
There is also a voiced post-velar fricative, also called pre-uvular, in some languages. For the voiced pre-velar fricative, also called post-palatal, see voiced palatal fricative.
A voiced velar tapped fricative has been reported in Dàgáárè, which is a previously unattested sound in human language.
Between voiced sounds dotless g is pronounced [ɣ], a voiced velar spirant. This sound became [w] in Middle English, so English no longer has it.