Páez vs Lak

Sound inventory comparison

Only in Páez

Shared

Only in Lak

Only in Páez 35

ndz ndzʲ lʲ nd ndʲ ṵ uʱ βʲ ũ mb mbʲ ḭ iʱ ĩ ɲ e a̰ ḛ aʱ eʱ ã ẽ ŋɡ ts tsʲ tsʲʰ sʲ t tʲʰ ɸʲ p pʲ xʲ k kʲ

Shared sounds 14

l n w u m j i a tsʰ s tʰ pʰ x kʰ

Only in Lak 55

z d r uː ø̞ˤ b iː ʒ ɢ ɢʷ aː e̞ˤ æˤ ɡ tsʷʰ tsʷʼ tsʼ t͈s t͈sʷ s͈ tʼ t͈ pʼ p͈ h ʔ t̠ʃʰ t̠ʃʷʰ t̠ʃʷʼ t̠ʃʼ t̠͈ʃ t̠͈ʃʷ ʃ ʃʷ ʃ͈ ʃ͈ʷ ħ χ χʷ χ͈ χ͈ʷ qʰ qʷʰ qʷʼ qʼ q͈ q͈ʷ xʷ x͈ x͈ʷ kʷʰ kʷʼ kʼ k͈ k͈ʷ

What this means for learners

Páez and Lak share 14 sounds — roughly 20% of Lak's inventory overlaps with Páez. Shared sounds are ones a speaker already knows from their native language and will generally produce and perceive accurately without explicit training.

The 55 sounds found only in Lak represent the greatest pronunciation challenge for Páez speakers. The adult brain tends to map unfamiliar sounds onto the closest native equivalent — a process that produces the characteristic "accent" of a second-language speaker. Learning to hear and produce these sounds as distinct requires focused ear training, not just repetition.

Conversely, Páez has 35 sounds not used in Lak. Native Lak speakers learning Páez will face the mirror-image challenge with these sounds.

Phoneme inventories from PHOIBLE. Data reflects one documented inventory per language; some variation exists across dialects and sources.

Compare with another language

Páez vs Lahu Páez vs Dafla Páez vs Yao Páez vs Hakka Chinese Páez vs SEDANG Páez vs Kharia Páez vs Bhumij Páez vs Kota Páez vs Burushaski Páez vs Kabardian Páez vs Ket Páez vs Garo