Voiceless alveolar fricative

Voiceless alveolar fricatives are special sounds we make when we speak. We make these sounds by putting the tip or the blade of the tongue against the gum line just behind the teeth. There are several different kinds of these sounds.

One common type is the voiceless alveolar sibilant, written as [s] in the International Phonetic Alphabet. This sound is like the “s” in the English word “sink.” It is one of the most used sounds around the world. Another type is the voiceless denti-alveolar sibilant, written as [s̟] or [s̄], which sounds like the “th” in “thin.” This sound is found in some Spanish dialects spoken in southern Spain, especially in Andalusia.

There is also the voiceless alveolar retracted sibilant, written as [s̠], used in many languages such as Asturleonese, Basque, Peninsular Spanish, Catalan, Galician, and Northern European Portuguese. Other languages that use this sound include Dutch, Icelandic, some dialects of Swedish, Finnish, and Greek. This sound is also found in some Amerindian languages like Muscogee, Garifuna, and varieties of Quechua.

Another type is the voiceless alveolar non-sibilant fricative, similar to the “th” in “thin,” and is used in Icelandic and some English dialects. Finally, there is the voiceless alveolar lateral fricative, written as [ɬ], which sounds like a strong version of the English “l,” as in the Welsh word for “place,” written as “ll.”

Voiceless alveolar sibilant

A voiceless alveolar sibilant is a common consonant sound in many languages. It is the sound you hear in English words like sea and pass. We write this sound with the symbol ⟨s⟩ in the International Phonetic Alphabet. This sound has a hissing quality, which is why people sometimes use it to get someone's attention, like saying "sssst!" or "psssst!".

Voiceless alveolar sibilants [s] are common in languages that have fricative sounds. Most languages with fricatives include this sound. However, some languages have a related hissing sound, such as [ʃ], but do not have [s]. Interestingly, most Australian Aboriginal languages do not include sibilants, as fricatives are rare in these languages, though [s] can be found in Kalaw Lagaw Ya.

Voiceless apico-alveolar sibilant

The voiceless alveolar retracted sibilant is a special sound made with the tongue shaped in a hollow way, and the tip touching the ridge behind the teeth. This sound is used in several languages, especially in northern and central Iberia, and is well known in Spanish from that area.

In the Middle Ages, this sound was used in many Romance languages across France, Portugal, and Spain, as well as in Old High German and Middle High German.

Today, this sound is used in languages like Astur-Leonese, Castilian Spanish, Catalan, and Galician. It is also found in Dutch, Icelandic, and some dialects in Scandinavia. There isn’t a single special symbol for this sound, but it is often written as ⟨s̺⟩ in language studies.

Voiceless alveolar non-sibilant fricative

A voiceless alveolar non-sibilant fricative is a special sound found in some languages. It is written using extra marks added to other symbols because it does not have its own special symbol.

To make this sound, narrow the airflow in your mouth to create a rough noise. It is made with the tip or blade of the tongue near the ridge behind the teeth. The sound is made without using the voice box, so it sounds quiet and breathy. Air is pushed out through the mouth, not the nose, and the sound is made straight down the middle of the tongue.

Voiceless alveolar tapped fricative

Some languages have a very short version of this sound. In this version, the tongue almost touches the ridge behind the teeth but does not fully close. This is written with special marks in symbols.

Voiceless alveolar approximant

There is also a softer version of this sound with less rough airflow. Different writers use different symbols to write about this sound.