Palauan Language - Sounds

Sounds

The phonemic inventory of Palauan consists of 10 consonants and 6 vowels. Phonetic charts of the vowel and consonant phonemes are provided below, utilizing the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Vowel Phonemes
Front Central Back
High i u
Mid ɛ ə o
Low a
Consonant Phonemes
Labial Alveolar Velar Glottal
Voiceless
stops		 t k ʔ
Voiced
stops		 b d
Voiceless
fricatives		 s
Nasals m ŋ
Liquids l, ɾ

While the phonemic inventory of Palauan is relatively small, comparatively, many phonemes contain at least two allophones that surface as the result of various phonological processes within the language. The full phonetic inventory of consonants is given below in IPA (the phonemic inventory of vowels, above, is complete).

Surface Consonants
Labial Interdental Alveolar Post-Alveolar Velar Glottal
Voiceless
stops		 p
pʰ		 t
tʰ		 k
kʰ		 ʔ
Voiced
stops		 b d ɡ
Voiceless
fricatives		 θ s
Voiced
fricatives		 ð
Nasals m n ŋ
Liquids l, ɾ, r
Approximants w j

Read more about this topic:  Palauan Language

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