List of consonants

This is a list of all the consonants which have a dedicated letter in the International Phonetic Alphabet, plus some of the consonants which require diacritics, ordered by place and manner of articulation.

IPA: Pulmonic consonants
Place → Labial Coronal Dorsal Laryngeal
Manner ↓ Bi­labial Labio­dental Linguo­labial Dental Alveolar Post­alveolar Retro­flex Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyn­geal/epi­glottal Glottal
Nasal m ɱ̊ ɱ n ɳ̊ ɳ ɲ̊ ɲ ŋ̊ ŋ ɴ̥ ɴ
Plosive p b t d ʈ ɖ c ɟ k ɡ q ɢ ʡ ʔ
Sibilant affricate ts dz t̠ʃ d̠ʒ
Non-sibilant affricate p̪f b̪v t̪θ d̪ð tɹ̝̊ dɹ̝ t̠ɹ̠̊˔ d̠ɹ̠˔ ɟʝ kx ɡɣ ɢʁ ʡʜ ʡʢ ʔh
Sibilant fricative s z ʃ ʒ ʂ ʐ ɕ ʑ
Non-sibilant fricative ɸ β f v θ̼ ð̼ θ ð θ̠ ð̠ ɹ̠̊˔ ɹ̠˔ ɻ̊˔ ɻ˔ ç ʝ x ɣ χ ʁ ħ ʕ h ɦ
Approximant ʋ ɹ ɻ j ɰ ʔ̞
Tap/flap ⱱ̟ ɾ̼ ɾ̥ ɾ ɽ̊ ɽ ɢ̆ ʡ̆
Trill ʙ̥ ʙ r ɽ̊r̥ ɽr ʀ̥ ʀ ʜ ʢ
Lateral affricate tꞎ d𝼅 c𝼆 ɟʎ̝ k𝼄 ɡʟ̝
Lateral fricative ɬ ɮ 𝼅 𝼆 ʎ̝ 𝼄 ʟ̝
Lateral approximant l ɭ ʎ ʟ ʟ̠
Lateral tap/flap ɺ̥ ɺ 𝼈̥ 𝼈 ʎ̆ ʟ̆

Symbols to the right in a cell are voiced, to the left are voiceless. Shaded areas denote articulations judged impossible.

IPA: Non-pulmonic consonants
BL LD D A PA RF P V U EG
Ejective Stop ʈʼ ʡʼ
Affricate p̪fʼ t̪θʼ tsʼ t̠ʃʼ tʂʼ tɕʼ kxʼ qχʼ
Fricative ɸʼ θʼ ʃʼ ʂʼ ɕʼ χʼ
Lateral affricate tɬʼ c𝼆ʼ k𝼄ʼ q𝼄ʼ
Lateral fricative ɬʼ
Click
(top: velar;
bottom: uvular)
Tenuis


k𝼊
q𝼊

Voiced ɡʘ
ɢʘ
ɡǀ
ɢǀ
ɡǃ
ɢǃ
ɡ𝼊
ɢ𝼊
ɡǂ
ɢǂ
Nasal ŋʘ
ɴʘ
ŋǀ
ɴǀ
ŋǃ
ɴǃ
ŋ𝼊
ɴ𝼊
ŋǂ
ɴǂ
ʞ
 
Tenuis lateral
Voiced lateral ɡǁ
ɢǁ
Nasal lateral ŋǁ
ɴǁ
Implosive Voiced ɓ ɗ ʄ ɠ ʛ
Voiceless ɓ̥ ɗ̥ ᶑ̊ ʄ̊ ɠ̊ ʛ̥
IPA: Co-articulated consonants
Labial–velar
ɧ
Sj-sound (variable)
Lateral approximant
Velarized alveolar
Labial–velar
Labial–alveolar

Ordered by place of articulation

Labial consonants

(articulated by using the lips)

Bilabial consonants

Labiodental consonants

Bidental consonants

Coronal consonants

(articulated by using the tip of the tongue)

Dental consonants

Alveolar consonants

Postalveolar consonants

Palatalized postalveolar consonants
Retroflex consonants

Dorsal consonants

(articulated with the middle of the tongue)

Palatal consonants

Labialized palatal consonants

Velar consonants

Labialized velar consonants
Labial–velar consonants

Uvular consonants

Laryngeal consonants

(articulated with the throat)

Pharyngeal consonants

Glottal consonants

Ordered by manner of articulation

Pulmonic consonants

Nasal (stop) consonants

Fricative consonants

Sibilant fricatives
Central non-sibilant fricatives
Lateral fricatives
both fricatives and approximants
Pseudo-fricatives

Affricate consonants

Sibilant affricates
Non-sibilant affricates
Lateral affricates

Approximant consonants

Flap (tap) consonants

Trill consonants

Lateral consonants

Approximants
Fricatives
Affricates
Flaps
Ejective
Clicks

Ejective consonants

Plosives
Affricates
Fricatives

Implosive consonants

Labialized consonants

Plosives
  • voiceless labialized velar plosive [kʷ]
  • voiced labialized velar plosive [ɡʷ]
  • Voiceless labialized labial-velar plosive [k͜pʷ]
  • voiceless labialized uvular plosive [qʷ]
  • voiced labialized uvular plosive [ɢʷ]
Fricatives
Approximants

Palatalized consonants

Pharyngealized consonants

  • voiceless pharyngealized alveolar sibilant [sˤ]
  • voiced pharyngealized alveolar sibilant [zˤ]
  • voiceless pharyngealized alveolar plosive [tˤ]
  • voiced pharyngealized alveolar plosive [dˤ]
  • voiceless pharyngealized dental fricative [θˤ]
  • voiced pharyngealized dental fricative [ðˤ]
  • voiceless pharyngealized alveolar lateral fricative [ɬˤ]
  • voiced pharyngealized alveolar lateral fricative [ɮˤ]
  • pharyngealized glottal stop [ʔˤ]
  • pharyngealized alveolar lateral approximant [lˤ]
  • pharyngealized alveolar nasal [nˤ]

Velarized consonants

  • Voiceless velarized alveolar sibilant [sˠ]
  • Voiced velarized dental fricative [ðˠ]
  • Voiceless velarized alveolar plosive [tˠ]
  • Velarized alveolar flap [ɾˠ]
  • Voiceless velarized uvular plosive [qˠ]
  • Voiceless velarized uvular fricative [χˠ]
  • Voiced velarized uvular fricative [ʁˠ]
  • Voiceless velarized alveolar lateral fricative [ɬˠ]
  • Voiced velarized alveolar lateral fricative [ɮˠ]
  • Velarized alveolar lateral approximant [ɫ] [lˠ]

Glottalized consonants

Reinforced airstream

  • Voiceless labioglottal plosive[ʔᵖ]
  • Voiceless alveologlottal plosive[ʔᵗ]
  • Voiceless veloglottal plosive[ʔᵏ]

Blocked airstream

  • Voiced glottalized alveolar nasal [nˀ]
  • Voiced glottalized alveolar plosive [tˀ]
  • Voiced glottalized dental fricative [ðˀ]

Restricted airstream

Whispery voice

  • Breathy-voiced bilabial nasal [mʱ]
  • Breathy-voiced bilabial plosive [bʱ]
  • Breathy-voiced alveolar plosive [dʱ]
  • Breathy-voiced velar plosive [gʱ]

Click consonants

The less common clicks, such as are found in Taa, are not included.

Simple clicks
Glottalized clicks
Pulmonic-contour clicks
  • voiceless bilabial linguo-pulmonic stop [ʘ͡q]
  • voiced bilabial linguo-pulmonic stop [ʘ͡ɢ]
  • voiceless dental linguo-pulmonic stop [ǀ͡q]
  • voiced dental linguo-pulmonic stop [ǀ͡ɢ]
  • voiceless alveolar linguo-pulmonic stop [ǃ͡q]
  • voiced alveolar linguo-pulmonic stop [ǃ͡ɢ]
  • voiceless alveolar lateral linguo-pulmonic stop [ǁ͡q]
  • voiced alveolar lateral linguo-pulmonic stop [ǁ͡ɢ]
  • voiceless retroflex linguo-pulmonic stop [𝼊͡q]
  • voiced retroflex linguo-pulmonic stop [𝼊͡ɢ]
  • voiceless palatal linguo-pulmonic stop [ǂ͡q]
  • voiced palatal linguo-pulmonic stop [ǂ͡ɢ]
  • voiceless bilabial linguo-pulmonic affricate [ʘ͡χ]
  • voiced bilabial linguo-pulmonic affricate [ʘ͡ʁ]
  • voiceless dental linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǀ͡χ]
  • voiced dental linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǀ͡ʁ]
  • voiceless alveolar linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǃ͡χ]
  • voiced alveolar linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǃ͡ʁ]
  • voiceless alveolar lateral linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǁ͡χ]
  • voiced alveolar lateral linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǁ͡ʁ]
  • voiceless retroflex linguo-pulmonic affricate [𝼊͡χ]
  • voiced retroflex linguo-pulmonic affricate [𝼊͡ʁ]
  • voiceless palatal linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǂ͡χ]
  • voiced palatal linguo-pulmonic affricate [ǂ͡ʁ]
Ejective-contour clicks
  • bilabial linguo-glottalic stop [ʘ͡qʼ]
  • dental linguo-glottalic stop [ǀ͡qʼ]
  • alveolar linguo-glottalic stop [ǃ͡qʼ]
  • alveolar lateral linguo-glottalic stop [ǁ͡qʼ]
  • retroflex linguo-glottalic stop [𝼊͡qʼ]
  • palatal linguo-glottalic stop [ǂ͡qʼ]
  • bilabial linguo-glottalic affricate [ʘ͡χʼ]
  • dental linguo-glottalic affricate [ǀ͡χʼ]
  • alveolar linguo-glottalic affricate [ǃ͡χʼ]
  • alveolar lateral linguo-glottalic affricate [ǁ͡χʼ]
  • retroflex linguo-glottalic affricate [𝼊͡χʼ]
  • palatal linguo-glottalic affricate [ǂ͡χʼ]

Percussive consonants

These are not found in any language, but occur as phonetic detail or through speech defects.

See also

  • v
  • t
  • e
IPA topics
IPA
Special topics
Encodings
Pulmonic consonants
Place Labial Coronal Dorsal Laryngeal
Manner Bi­labial Labio­dental Linguo­labial Dental Alveolar Post­alveolar Retro­flex Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyn­geal/epi­glottal Glottal
Nasal m ɱ̊ ɱ n ɳ̊ ɳ ɲ̊ ɲ ŋ̊ ŋ ɴ̥ ɴ
Plosive p b t d ʈ ɖ c ɟ k ɡ q ɢ ʡ ʔ
Sibilant affricate ts dz t̠ʃ d̠ʒ
Non-sibilant affricate p̪f b̪v t̪θ d̪ð tɹ̝̊ dɹ̝ t̠ɹ̠̊˔ d̠ɹ̠˔ ɟʝ kx ɡɣ ɢʁ ʡʜ ʡʢ ʔh
Sibilant fricative s z ʃ ʒ ʂ ʐ ɕ ʑ
Non-sibilant fricative ɸ β f v θ̼ ð̼ θ ð θ̠ ð̠ ɹ̠̊˔ ɹ̠˔ ɻ̊˔ ɻ˔ ç ʝ x ɣ χ ʁ ħ ʕ h ɦ
Approximant ʋ ɹ ɻ j ɰ ʔ̞
Tap/flap ⱱ̟ ɾ̼ ɾ̥ ɾ ɽ̊ ɽ ɢ̆ ʡ̆
Trill ʙ̥ ʙ r ɽ̊r̥ ɽr ʀ̥ ʀ ʜ ʢ
Lateral affricate tꞎ d𝼅 c𝼆 ɟʎ̝ k𝼄 ɡʟ̝
Lateral fricative ɬ ɮ 𝼅 𝼆 ʎ̝ 𝼄 ʟ̝
Lateral approximant l ɭ ʎ ʟ ʟ̠
Lateral tap/flap ɺ̥ ɺ 𝼈̥ 𝼈 ʎ̆ ʟ̆

Symbols to the right in a cell are voiced, to the left are voiceless. Shaded areas denote articulations judged impossible.

Non-pulmonic consonants
BL LD D A PA RF P V U EG
Ejective Stop ʈʼ ʡʼ
Affricate p̪fʼ t̪θʼ tsʼ t̠ʃʼ tʂʼ tɕʼ kxʼ qχʼ
Fricative ɸʼ θʼ ʃʼ ʂʼ ɕʼ χʼ
Lateral affricate tɬʼ c𝼆ʼ k𝼄ʼ q𝼄ʼ
Lateral fricative ɬʼ
Click
(top: velar;
bottom: uvular)
Tenuis


k𝼊
q𝼊

Voiced ɡʘ
ɢʘ
ɡǀ
ɢǀ
ɡǃ
ɢǃ
ɡ𝼊
ɢ𝼊
ɡǂ
ɢǂ
Nasal ŋʘ
ɴʘ
ŋǀ
ɴǀ
ŋǃ
ɴǃ
ŋ𝼊
ɴ𝼊
ŋǂ
ɴǂ
ʞ
 
Tenuis lateral
Voiced lateral ɡǁ
ɢǁ
Nasal lateral ŋǁ
ɴǁ
Implosive Voiced ɓ ɗ ʄ ɠ ʛ
Voiceless ɓ̥ ɗ̥ ᶑ̊ ʄ̊ ɠ̊ ʛ̥
Co-articulated consonants
Labial–velar
ɧ
Sj-sound (variable)
Lateral approximant
Velarized alveolar
Labial–velar
Labial–alveolar
Other
Front Central Back
Close
•
•
Near-close
Close-mid
•
•
Mid
Open-mid
Near-open
•
Open
•
•

Legend: unrounded  rounded