ɣʷ vs x

Voiced Velar Fricative vs Voiceless Velar Fricative

How these sounds differ

ɣʷ

Voiced Velar Fricative

Voicing: voiced
Place: velar
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 5 / 500

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Voiceless Velar Fricative

Voicing: voiceless
Place: velar
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 127 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

Languages with ɣʷ

Languages with both

127

Languages with x

4 languages in our database contrast both sounds as distinct phonemes. Languages that have one but not the other tend to merge them into a single phoneme — meaning speakers of those languages often struggle to hear the distinction when learning a language that contrasts them.

Has ɣʷ, not x (1)

ISOKO Atlantic-Congo

Has x, not ɣʷ (20)

Karok Language isolate TARASCAN Tarascan Nez Perce Sahaptian Dakota Siouan Delaware Algic Nootka Wakashan Haida Haida Navaho Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Hupa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Chasta Costa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Aleut Eskimo-Aleut Iai Austronesian Atayal Austronesian Karen Sino-Tibetan Lahu Sino-Tibetan Dafla Sino-Tibetan Burushaski Language isolate Kabardian Abkhaz-Adyge Lak Nakh-Daghestanian Pomo Pomoan