Voiceless velar affricate

A voiceless velar affricate is a special sound used in some spoken languages. It is made by combining two sounds together in the back of the mouth. This sound is written using special symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet: ⟨k͡x⟩ and ⟨k͜x⟩. Sometimes the line connecting the symbols is left out, and it is written as ⟨kx⟩.

Some languages have sounds very similar to the voiceless velar affricate, but they are made slightly more forward in the mouth. These are called voiceless pre-velar or post-palatal affricates. They are not as far forward as another sound called the voiceless palatal affricate.

Other languages have sounds made slightly further back in the mouth than the voiceless velar affricate. These are called voiceless post-velar affricates. They are not as far back as a sound called the voiceless uvular affricate.

Features

The voiceless velar affricate is a special sound used in some languages. It is made by stopping the airflow completely and then letting it flow through a narrow channel, which creates a turbulent sound. This sound is produced at the back of the mouth using the soft palate and the tongue, and it is made without any vibration of the vocal cords, so it is a quiet sound. The air for this sound comes only from the lungs, using the muscles between the ribs and in the belly.

Occurrence