| 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.
- ^ Baker, Peter Stuar (2012). Introduction to Old English (3rd ed.). pp. 15. ISBN 9781444354195. OCLC 778433078 – via Internet Archive.
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.
- ^ Such as Booij (1999) and Nowikow (2012).