kʰ vs ɡ

Voiceless Velar Stop vs Voiced Velar Stop

How these sounds differ

kʰ

Voiceless Velar Stop

Voicing: voiceless
Place: velar
Manner: stop
Class: consonant
In languages: 135 / 500

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Voiced Velar Stop

Voicing: voiced
Place: velar
Manner: stop
Class: consonant
In languages: 301 / 500

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Cross-linguistic distribution

135

Languages with kʰ

Languages with both

301

Languages with ɡ

85 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 kʰ, not ɡ (20)

Hupa Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit PO-AI Tai-Kadai TOL Jicaquean Zuni Language isolate LUNGCHOW Tai-Kadai Navaho Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit BRUU Austroasiatic Páez Language isolate Min Dong Chinese Sino-Tibetan BAI Sino-Tibetan Quechua Quechuan NYAH KUR Austroasiatic Mongghul Mongolic-Khitan JACALTEC Mayan Icelandic Indo-European Selepet Nuclear Trans New Guinea Cham Austronesian SOUTHERN NAMBIQUARA Nambiquaran Lakkia Tai-Kadai Wichita Caddoan

Has ɡ, not kʰ (20)

Ticuna Ticuna-Yuri Barasano Tucanoan Yánesha Arawakan Island Carib Arawakan Cayapa Barbacoan Tewa Kiowa-Tanoan Tiwa Kiowa-Tanoan Chontal Mayan Zoque Mixe-Zoque Salish Salishan Kunimaipa Kunimaipan Iai Austronesian Telefol Nuclear Trans New Guinea Chamorro Austronesian Sa'ban Austronesian Toba-Batak Austronesian Malagasy Austronesian Dafla Sino-Tibetan Kota Dravidian Carib Cariban