Voiceless labial–alveolar plosive
Consonantal sound
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A voiceless labial–alveolar plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. It is a [t] and [p] pronounced simultaneously. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨t͡p⟩.
Features
Features of a voiceless labial–alveolar plosive are:
- Its manner of articulation is occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Since the consonant is also oral, with no nasal outlet, it is a plosive.
- Its place of articulation is labial–alveolar, which means that it is simultaneously articulated with the front part of the tongue against the alveolar ridge and the lips.
- Its phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords.
- It is an oral consonant, which means that air is not allowed to escape through the nose.
- It is a median consonant, which means it is produced by directing the airstream down the midline of the tongue, rather than to the sides.
- Its airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air only with the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles, as in most speech sounds.
Occurrence
| Language | Dialect | Word | IPA | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhaz[1][2] | аҭәы | [oˈt͡p᫇ʰu] | 'full' | Endolabial, unlike a [p]. Contrasts [t͡p᫇ʰ], [d͡b̫], [t͡p᫇ʼ]. See Abkhaz phonology. Also found in Ubykh and some dialects of Lak. | |
| Nzema[3] | pi | [t͡piʔ] | 'to become thick' | an allophone of /k͡p/ before front vowels. | |
| Yele[4] | tpili | [t̪͡pili] | 'sea' (women's term) | Contrasts voiceless labial–retroflex plosive. | |
| tp꞉ee | [t̪͡pɛ̃ː] | 'child' | |||
