t̪ vs d

Voiceless Alveolar Stop vs Voiced Alveolar Stop

How these sounds differ

t̪

Voiceless Alveolar Stop

Voicing: voiceless
Place: alveolar
Manner: stop
Class: consonant
In languages: 108 / 500

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Voiced Alveolar Stop

Voicing: voiced
Place: alveolar
Manner: stop
Class: consonant
In languages: 217 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

108

Languages with t̪

Languages with both

217

Languages with d

15 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 t̪, not d (20)

SIONA Tucanoan Nez Perce Sahaptian NAHUATL Uto-Aztecan YANYUWA Pama-Nyungan SIERRA MIWOK Miwok-Costanoan Icelandic Indo-European NIMBORAN Nimboranic Djapu Pama-Nyungan BEJA Afro-Asiatic Koya Dravidian DIYARI Pama-Nyungan Logbara Central Sudanic RORO Austronesian POHNPEIAN Austronesian Alabama Muskogean BELLA COOLA Salishan Central Arrernte Pama-Nyungan BAI Sino-Tibetan WEST MAKIAN North Halmahera Wik Mungkan Pama-Nyungan

Has d, not t̪ (20)

Salish Salishan Gadsup Nuclear Trans New Guinea Telefol Nuclear Trans New Guinea Adzera Austronesian Iai Austronesian Chamorro Austronesian Sa'ban Austronesian Toba-Batak Austronesian Malagasy Austronesian Cham Austronesian Yay Tai-Kadai Garo Sino-Tibetan Lahu Sino-Tibetan Dafla Sino-Tibetan Yao Hmong-Mien Burushaski Language isolate Kabardian Abkhaz-Adyge Lak Nakh-Daghestanian Ket Yeniseian Kwakiutl Wakashan