Voiced labial–palatal approximant

The voiced labial–palatal approximant is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ɥ⟩, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is ⟨H⟩.

Features[edit | edit source]

Its manner of articulation is approximant, which means it is produced by narrowing the vocal tract at the place of articulation, but not enough to produce a turbulent airstream.
Its place of articulation is labial–palatal, which means it is articulated with the tongue raised towards the hard palate (the roof of the mouth) and the lips rounded.
Its phonation is voiced, which means the vocal cords vibrate during the articulation.
It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
It is a central consonant, which means it is produced by allowing the airstream to flow over the middle of the tongue, rather than the sides.
The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.

The voiced labial–palatal approximant occurs in various languages around the world. Some examples include:

French: The sound ⟨ɥ⟩ appears in words like huit [ɥit] meaning 'eight'.
Mandarin Chinese: The sound ⟨ɥ⟩ appears in words like yuè [ɥɛ] meaning 'moon'.