Voiced velar approximant

Nasalized voiced velar approximant
Nasalized voiced velar approximant
ɰ̃
Audio sample
	source · help
Encoding
X-SAMPA	M\~

Voiced velar approximant
Voiced velar approximant
ɰ
Audio sample
	source · help
Encoding
X-SAMPA	M\

The voiced velar approximant is a sound used in some spoken languages. It is not in English. It is similar to /w/ but without using your lips.

Characteristics

The phonation is voiced. This means that the vocal cords vibrate while the sound is being pronounced.
The place of articulation (where the sound is produced) is velar. This means that this sound is produced with the back of the tongue at the soft palate.
The manner of articulation (how the sound is produced) is approximant. This means that this sound is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place this sound is produced. However, it is not narrowed enough to produce a turbulent airstream.

Examples

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Aragonese		caixigo	[kajˈʃiɣ̞o̞]	'oak tree'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/.
Astur-Leonese	Asturian	^{[example needed]}			Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/.
	Extremaduran	^{[example needed]}
	Leonese	^{[example needed]}
	Mirandese	^{[example needed]}
Catalan		aigua	[ˈajɣ̞wə]^ⓘ	'water'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/. See Catalan phonology
Cherokee		ᏩᏥ wa-tsi	[ɰad͡ʒi]	'watch'	Found only in the Western dialect. Its equivalent in other dialects is [w]. Also represented by Ꮺ, Ꮻ, Ꮼ, Ꮽ, and Ꮾ
Danish	Older speakers	talg	[ˈtsʰalˀɣ̞]	'tallow'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding. Still used by some older speakers in high register, much more commonly than a fricative [ɣ]. Depending on the environment, it corresponds to [w] or [j] in young speakers of contemporary Standard Danish. See Danish phonology
Dutch	Western East Flemish				Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding. Corresponds to a fricative [ɣ] in other dialects.
French	Belgian	ara	[aɣ̞a]	'macaw'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding. Intervocalic, word-internal allophone of /ʀ/ for some speakers. See French phonology
Galician		órgano	[ˈɔrɣ̞ɑ̟nʊ]^ⓘ	'organ'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/. See Galician phonology
Greek	Cypriot	μαγαζί	[maɰazˈzi]	'shop'	Allophone of /ɣ/.
Guarani		gotyo	[ɰoˈtɨo]	'near, close to'	Contrasts with [w]
Guarani	Ñandewa Paulista-Paranaense		[adʒaˈɰa]	'I cut'	Contrasts with [ɡ].
Hiw		wr̄og	[wɡ͡ʟɔɣ̞]	'through'	Contrasts with /w/ and with /ɡ͡ʟ/.
Ibibio		ufokọ	[úfʌ̟̀ɰɔ̞]	^{[translation needed]}	Intervocalic allophone of /k/; may be a uvular tap [ɢ̆] instead.
Icelandic		Skagabyggð	[ˈskɐːɣ̞ɐˌpɪɣ̞θ]^ⓘ	'Skagabyggð'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding.^[source?] See Icelandic phonology
Irish		naoi	[n̪ˠɰiː]^ⓘ	'nine'	Occurs only between broad consonants and front vowels. See Irish phonology
Korean		의사 / uisa	[ɰisɐ]	'doctor'	Occurs only before /i/. See Korean phonology
Mwotlap		haghag	[haɣ̞haɣ̞]	'sit'	Contrasts with [w].
Potato speech	North Hill	hndrent	[ɰɲdɾɪɲ:]	'wind'	Corresponds to /x/ in other dialects
Shipibo		igi	[i̞ɣ̞i̞]	^{[translation needed]}	Unspecified for rounding; varies between an approximant and a fricative. Allophone of /k/ in certain high-frequency morphemes.
Spanish		pagar	[päˈɣ̞äɾ]^ⓘ	'to pay'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/. See Spanish phonology
Swedish	Central Standard	temadagarna	[ˈtʰîɛ̠mɐˌdɒ̟ːɣæɳɐ̞]^ⓘ	'themed day'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; allophone of /ɡ/ in casual speech. See Swedish phonology
Tagalog		igriega	[iːɡɾɪˈje̞ɣ̞ɐ]	'y (letter)'	Approximant consonant unspecified for rounding; intervocalic allophone of /ɡ/. See Tagalog phonology
Tiwi		ngaga	[ˈŋaɰa]	'we (inclusive)'
Vietnamese	Southern	gặp	[ɣ̞ap̚˨˩˨]^ⓘ	'to meet, to see'	Typical realization of /ɡɣ/ or /ɣ/ in other dialects. Variant is in complementary distribution before open vowels.

Nasal

The voiced velar nasal approximant is a sound used in some spoken languages. It is not in English. It is similar to /w/ but adding nasal without using your lips.

Characteristics

The phonation is voiced. This means that the vocal cords vibrate while the sound is being pronounced.
The place of articulation (where the sound is produced) is velar. This means that this sound is produced with the back of the tongue at the soft palate.
The manner of articulation (how the sound is produced) is approximant. This means that this sound is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place this sound is produced. However, it is not narrowed enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
It is a nasal consonant. This means that air is allowed to escape through the nose, either exclusively (nasal stops) or in addition to through the mouth.

Examples

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Guaraní	Paraguayan	guaraníme	[ɰ̃ʷãɾ̃ãˈnĩmẽ]	'in Guarani'	Allophone of /ɰ/ due to nasal vowel-consonant harmony, though typically retains some degree of labialization; may therefore be closer to [w̃].
Japanese		三位 / san'i	[sɑ̃ɰ̃ːi]	'third rank'	Syllable-final moraic nasal realization; broadly described as dorso-velar, though exact placement of articulation varies. See Japanese phonology
Nizaa		ŋun	[ɰ̃ʊ˧n]	'boy/girl'	Non-syllable coda realization of [ŋ]. See Nizaa phonology.
Ikwerre		[àˈɣ̞̃ã́]		'to bask in the sun'	Allophone of /ɣ̞/ before nasal vowels, due to nasal vowel-consonant harmony.

References

↑ Mott (2007), pp. 104–105.
1 2 Carbonell & Llisterri (1992), p. 55.
1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), p. 204.
1 2 Grønnum (2005), p. 123.
↑ Basbøll (2005), pp. 211–212.
1 2 Taeldeman (1979).
1 2 Demolin (2001), pp. 65, 71.
1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), pp. 203–204.
↑ Arvaniti (1999), p. 174.
1 2 Costa (2012), p. 78.
↑ François (2010), pp. 396ff..
1 2 Urua (2004), p. 106.
↑ Árnason (2011), p. 106 "[It is] doubtful whether the voiced fricatives are to be classified as such, rather than as approximants.". Árnason (2011), p. 108 "The weakness of the articulation of the voiced sounds makes them at times more like approximants, and they are very easily deleted intervocalically in natural speech, making pronunciations like [taːr̥] for dagar 'days' [...] quite common."
↑ François (2001), p. 60.
1 2 Valenzuela, Márquez Pinedo & Maddieson (2001), p. 282.
1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), pp. 202–204.
↑ Engstrand (2004), p. 167.
↑ Walker (1999).
↑ Estigarribia (2020).
↑ Vance (2008), pp. 97–100.
↑ Kjelsvik (2002), pp. 10–11.
↑ Clements & Osu (2003).

[FOOTNOTEMott2007104–105-1] Mott (2007), pp. 104–105.

[FOOTNOTECarbonellLlisterri199255-2] 1 2 Carbonell & Llisterri (1992), p. 55.

[FOOTNOTEMartínez_Celdrán2004204-3] 1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), p. 204.

[FOOTNOTEGrønnum2005123-4] 1 2 Grønnum (2005), p. 123.

[FOOTNOTEBasbøll2005211–212-5] Basbøll (2005), pp. 211–212.

[FOOTNOTETaeldeman1979-6] 1 2 Taeldeman (1979).

[FOOTNOTEDemolin200165,_71-7] 1 2 Demolin (2001), pp. 65, 71.

[FOOTNOTEMartínez_Celdrán2004203–204-8] 1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), pp. 203–204.

[FOOTNOTEArvaniti1999174-9] Arvaniti (1999), p. 174.

[FOOTNOTECosta201278-10] 1 2 Costa (2012), p. 78.

[FOOTNOTEFrançois2010396ff.-11] François (2010), pp. 396ff..

[FOOTNOTEUrua2004106-12] 1 2 Urua (2004), p. 106.

[13] Árnason (2011), p. 106 "[It is] doubtful whether the voiced fricatives are to be classified as such, rather than as approximants.". Árnason (2011), p. 108 "The weakness of the articulation of the voiced sounds makes them at times more like approximants, and they are very easily deleted intervocalically in natural speech, making pronunciations like [taːr̥] for dagar 'days' [...] quite common."

[FOOTNOTEFrançois200160-14] François (2001), p. 60.

[FOOTNOTEValenzuelaMárquez_PinedoMaddieson2001282-15] 1 2 Valenzuela, Márquez Pinedo & Maddieson (2001), p. 282.

[FOOTNOTEMartínez_Celdrán2004202–204-16] 1 2 Martínez Celdrán (2004), pp. 202–204.

[FOOTNOTEEngstrand2004167-17] Engstrand (2004), p. 167.

[FOOTNOTEWalker1999-18] Walker (1999).

[FOOTNOTEEstigarribia2020-19] Estigarribia (2020).

[FOOTNOTEVance200897–100-20] Vance (2008), pp. 97–100.

[FOOTNOTEKjelsvik200210–11-21] Kjelsvik (2002), pp. 10–11.

[FOOTNOTEClementsOsu2003-22] Clements & Osu (2003).