How these sounds differ
pʰ
Voiceless Bilabial Stop
- Voicing
- voiceless
- Place
- bilabial
- Manner
- stop
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 131 / 500
b
Voiced Bilabial Stop
- Voicing
- voiced
- Place
- bilabial
- Manner
- stop
- Class
- consonant
- In languages
- 339 / 500
Cross-linguistic distribution
131
Languages with pʰ
89
Languages with both
339
Languages with b
89 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 pʰ, not b (20)
Daur
Mongolic-Khitan
Dakota
Siouan
Min Dong Chinese
Sino-Tibetan
LUNGCHOW
Tai-Kadai
Mazahua
Otomanguean
KHMU?
Austroasiatic
Wapishana
Arawakan
Lakkia
Tai-Kadai
BAI
Sino-Tibetan
Quechua
Quechuan
Mongghul
Mongolic-Khitan
JACALTEC
Mayan
Icelandic
Indo-European
Selepet
Nuclear Trans New Guinea
SOUTHERN NAMBIQUARA
Nambiquaran
Páez
Language isolate
PO-AI
Tai-Kadai
TOL
Jicaquean
Karen
Sino-Tibetan
Haida
Haida
Has b, not pʰ (20)
Pomo
Pomoan
Tzeltal
Mayan
Chontal
Mayan
Zoque
Mixe-Zoque
Alabama
Muskogean
Seneca
Iroquoian
Salish
Salishan
Nasioi
South Bougainville
Kunimaipa
Kunimaipan
Telefol
Nuclear Trans New Guinea
Iai
Austronesian
Sa'ban
Austronesian
Toba-Batak
Austronesian
Malagasy
Austronesian
Dafla
Sino-Tibetan
Kharia
Austroasiatic
Kota
Dravidian
Kabardian
Abkhaz-Adyge
Ket
Yeniseian
Tewa
Kiowa-Tanoan