labiovelar

/ˌleɪbioʊˈvilər/
adjective
  1. Relating to a speech sound made with both the lips and the back of the tongue near the soft palate.
    • He explained how labiovelar articulation involves two places of constriction.
    • Linguists study labiovelar sounds in languages like Japanese.
    • The 'w' sound in 'water' is a labiovelar approximant.
noun
  1. A speech sound produced with simultaneous lip rounding and velar closure.
    • Some languages have labiovelar stops, like /kp/ and /gb/.
    • English has one common labiovelar: the 'w' sound.
    • The student identified the labiovelar in the word 'quick'.
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