How these sounds differ
p͈
Voiceless Bilabial Stop
- Voicing
- voiceless
- Place
- bilabial
- Manner
- stop
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 4 / 500
b
Voiced Bilabial Stop
- Voicing
- voiced
- Place
- bilabial
- Manner
- stop
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 339 / 500
Cross-linguistic distribution
4
Languages with p͈
2
Languages with both
339
Languages with b
2 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 p͈, not b (2)
Has b, not p͈ (20)
Kunimaipa
Kunimaipan
Telefol
Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Adzera
Austronesian
Iai
Austronesian
Chamorro
Austronesian
Toba-Batak
Austronesian
Malagasy
Austronesian
Cham
Austronesian
Yay
Tai-Kadai
Garo
Sino-Tibetan
Lahu
Sino-Tibetan
Dafla
Sino-Tibetan
Yao
Hmong-Mien
Kharia
Austroasiatic
Bhumij
Austroasiatic
Kota
Dravidian
Burushaski
Language isolate
Kabardian
Abkhaz-Adyge
Ket
Yeniseian
Nasioi
South Bougainville