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Velarization

Velarization or velarisation is a secondary articulation of consonants by which the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the consonant. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, velarization is transcribed by one of four diacritics: *A tilde or swung dash through the letter covers velarization, uvularization and pharyngealization, as in (the velarized equivalent of ) *A superscript Latin gamma after the letter standing for the velarized consonant, as in (a velarized ) *To distinguish velarization from a velar fricative release, may be used instead of , as in *A superscript may be used to indicate simultaneous velarization with labialization, as in , but is often used more broadly for protruded labialization, without specifying velarization. Although electropalatographic studies have shown that there is a continuum of possible degrees of velarization, the IPA does not specify any way to indicate degrees of velarization, as the difference has not been found to be contrastive in any language. However, the IPA convention of doubling diacritics to indicate a greater degree can be used: .

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Article summary

Velarization or velarisation is a secondary articulation of consonants by which the back of the tongue is raised toward the velum during the articulation of the consonant. In the International Phonetic Alphabet, velarization is transcribed by one of four diacritics: *A tilde or swung dash through the letter covers velarization, uvularization and pharyngealization, as in (the velarized equivalent of ) *A superscript Latin gamma after the letter standing for the velarized consonant, as in (a velarized ) *To distinguish velarization from a velar fricative release, may be used instead of , as in *A superscript may be used to indicate simultaneous velarization with labialization, as in , but is often used more broadly for protruded labialization, without specifying velarization. Although electropalatographic studies have shown that there is a continuum of possible degrees of velarization, the IPA does not specify any way to indicate degrees of velarization, as the difference has not been found to be contrastive in any language. However, the IPA convention of doubling diacritics to indicate a greater degree can be used: .

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Discussion questions

  1. Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
  2. Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
  3. If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?

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