Voiceless labial–alveolar plosive

The voiceless labial–alveolar plosive is a type of consonantal sound used in some spoken languages. It is a [t] and [p] pronounced simultaneously. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨t͡p⟩.

Voiceless labial–alveolar plosive
t͡p
t̪͡p

Features

Features of the voiceless labial–alveolar plosive are:

• Its manner of articulation is occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Since the consonant is also oral, with no nasal outlet, the airflow is blocked entirely, and the consonant is a plosive.
• Its place of articulation is labial–alveolar, which means that it is simultaneously articulated with the front part of the tongue against the alveolar ridge and the lips.
• Its phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords.
• 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 directing the airstream along the center of the tongue, rather than to the sides.
• Its airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the intercostal muscles and abdominal muscles, as in most sounds.

Occurrence

Language	Dialect	Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Abkhaz[1][2]		[example needed]			In free variation with [tʰʷ]; contrasts /t͡pʰ, d͡b, t͡pʼ/. See Abkhaz phonology.
Lak[2]	Some dialects	[example needed]			Contrasts /t͡p, d͡b, t͡pʼ/.
Nzema[3]		[example needed]			Contrasts /t͡p, d͡b/.
Yele[4]		tpili	[t̪͡pili]	'sea' (women's term)	Contrasts voiceless labial–retroflex plosive.
		tp꞉ee	[t̪͡pɛ̃ː]	'child'

References

1. Siegel, Bernard J. (1977). Annual Review of Anthropology. Annual Reviews Incorporated. ISBN 9780824319069.
2. Catford, J. C. (1977). Siegel, Bernard J. (ed.). "Mountain of Tongues: The Languages of the Caucasus". Annual Review of Anthropology. 6: 290. doi:10.1146/annurev.an.06.100177.001435. ISBN 9780824319069.
3. Berry, J. (1955). "Some Notes on the Phonology of the Nzema and Ahanta Dialects". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 17 (1): 160–165. doi:10.1017/S0041977X00106421. ISSN 1474-0699. S2CID 162551544.
4. Levinson, Stephen C. (23 May 2022). A Grammar of Yélî Dnye: The Papuan Language of Rossel Island. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110733853. ISBN 978-3-11-073385-3. S2CID 249083265. Retrieved 16 January 2023.