Voiceless labial–velar plosive

A voiceless labial–velar plosive or stop is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. It is a [k] and [p] pronounced simultaneously and is considered a double articulation.^[1] To make this sound, one can say Coe but with the lips closed as if one were saying Poe; the lips are to be released at the same time as or a fraction of a second after the C of Coe. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨k͡p⟩ ~ ⟨k͜p⟩.

IPA number109 (101)

Entity (decimal)k​͡​p

Unicode (hex)U+006B U+0361 U+0070

Quick facts k͡p, IPA number ...

Voiceless labial–velar plosive
k͡p
IPA number	109 (101)
Audio sample
source Â· help
Encoding
Entity (decimal)	k​͡​p
Unicode (hex)	U+006B U+0361 U+0070
Image

Close

A voiceless labial–velar plosive is found in Vietnamese and various languages in West and Central Africa. In the orthography of Yoruba in Nigeria it is written with a simple ⟨p⟩.

Some languages, especially in Papua New Guinea and in Vanuatu, combine this voiceless labial–velar stop with a labial–velar approximant release, hence [k͡pʷ]. Thus Mwotlap (Banks Islands, north Vanuatu) has [k͡pʷɪlɣɛk] ('my father-in-law').^[2]

In the Banks Islands languages which have it, the phoneme /k͡pʷ/ is written ⟨q⟩ in local orthographies. In other languages of Vanuatu further south (such as South Efate, or Lenakel), the same segment is spelled ⟨p̃⟩.