x vs ɣ

Voiceless Velar Fricative vs Voiced Velar Fricative

How these sounds differ

Voiceless Velar Fricative

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

127

Languages with x

Languages with both

Languages with ɣ

34 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 x, not ɣ (20)

Yánesha Arawakan Aymara Aymaran Páez Language isolate Otomi Otomanguean Luiseno Uto-Aztecan Tiwa Kiowa-Tanoan Digueno Cochimi-Yuman Pomo Pomoan Karok Language isolate TARASCAN Tarascan Nez Perce Sahaptian Delaware Algic Nootka Wakashan Haida Haida Hupa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Iai Austronesian Dafla Sino-Tibetan Burushaski Language isolate Lak Nakh-Daghestanian Jivaro Chicham

Has ɣ, not x (20)

Kunjen Pama-Nyungan Angas Afro-Asiatic Mixtec Otomanguean Aghem Atlantic-Congo Maung Iwaidjan Proper Chukchi Chukotko-Kamchatkan KORYAK Chukotko-Kamchatkan Quechua Quechuan Abipon Guaicuruan Mapudungun Araucanian Mazateco Otomanguean Chacobo Pano-Tacanan OGBIA Atlantic-Congo BAINING Baining NDUT Atlantic-Congo HIGHLAND CHINANTEC Otomanguean ISOKO Atlantic-Congo Fe'efe'fe Atlantic-Congo Ejagham de l'ouest Atlantic-Congo HUAVE Huavean