Labialized voiceless velar plosive

The labialized voiceless velar plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is kʷ, and it is a common sound cross-linguistically. It is effectively a [k] and a [w] sound pronounced simultaneously. (The superscript ʷ in [kʷ] indicates that the w-sound does not come after the [k], as in the sequence [kw], but is simultaneous with it.) The closest approximation in English is the qu sequence in words like queen, though the most audible part of the w-sound may occur before the k-sound, after it, or both. This is reflected in the orthography of Nahuatl (Aztec), where /kʷ/ is written cu before a vowel, but as uc after a vowel.

Features

Features of the labialized voiceless velar stop:

• Its manner of articulation is stop, or plosive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. (The term plosive contrasts with nasal stops, where the blocked airflow is redirected through the nose.)
• Its place of articulation is velar, which means it is articulated with the back of the tongue at the soft palate.
• Its phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords. In some languages the vocal cords are actively separated, so it is always voiceless; in others the cords are lax, so that it may take on the voicing of adjacent sounds.
• It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
• It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.
• The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.
• The secondary articulation is labialized, that is, the lips are rounded

Occurrence

See also

• List of phonetics topics

References