xʷ vs ɣ

Voiceless Velar Fricative vs Voiced Velar Fricative

How these sounds differ

xʷ

Voiceless Velar Fricative

Voicing: voiceless
Place: velar
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 30 / 500

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Voiced Velar Fricative

Voicing: voiced
Place: velar
Manner: fricative
Class: consonant
In languages: 60 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

Languages with xʷ

Languages with both

Languages with ɣ

8 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 xʷ, not ɣ (20)

Lak Nakh-Daghestanian Nyangumata Pama-Nyungan Hupa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Haida Haida Squamish Salishan Salish Salishan Nootka Wakashan Kwakiutl Wakashan Digueno Cochimi-Yuman Tiwa Kiowa-Tanoan Luiseno Uto-Aztecan Otomi Otomanguean Iraqw Afro-Asiatic Avar Nakh-Daghestanian BELLA COOLA Salishan UPPER CHEHALIS Salishan KONYAGI Atlantic-Congo Daur Mongolic-Khitan EYAK Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit KWAIO Austronesian

Has ɣ, not xʷ (20)

Chukchi Chukotko-Kamchatkan Gilyak Nivkh Cheremis Uralic IRISH Indo-European Margi Afro-Asiatic Angas Afro-Asiatic Chacobo Pano-Tacanan Mapudungun Araucanian Quechua Quechuan Mixtec Otomanguean Mazateco Otomanguean Dakota Siouan Inuit Eskimo-Aleut Aleut Eskimo-Aleut Maung Iwaidjan Proper Lahu Sino-Tibetan Karen Sino-Tibetan Atayal Austronesian Kunjen Pama-Nyungan Aghem Atlantic-Congo