k vs ɡ

Voiceless Velar Stop vs Voiced Velar Stop

How these sounds differ

Voiceless Velar Stop

Voicing: voiceless
Place: velar
Manner: stop
Class: consonant
In languages: 444 / 500

Full details →

Voiced Velar Stop

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

Full details →

Cross-linguistic distribution

444

Languages with k

267

Languages with both

301

Languages with ɡ

267 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 k, not ɡ (20)

Gadsup Nuclear Trans New Guinea Asmat Nuclear Trans New Guinea Washkuk Sepik Wik Mungkan Pama-Nyungan Sentani Sentanic Alawa Mangarrayi-Maran Wubuy Gunwinyguan Maung Iwaidjan Proper Maranungku Western Daly Kunjen Pama-Nyungan Nyangumata Pama-Nyungan Western Desert Pama-Nyungan Kaliai Austronesian Atayal Austronesian Cham Austronesian Lakkia Tai-Kadai Karen Sino-Tibetan Hakka Chinese Sino-Tibetan SEDANG Austroasiatic Auyana Nuclear Trans New Guinea

Has ɡ, not k (20)

IRISH Indo-European Angas Afro-Asiatic Avar Nakh-Daghestanian CHEROKEE Iroquoian ACOMA Keresan Persian Indo-European EYAK Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit Tunica Language isolate Garo Sino-Tibetan Adzera Austronesian Lak Nakh-Daghestanian Darkhat Mongolic-Khitan Wapishana Arawakan ARCHI Nakh-Daghestanian Aghem Atlantic-Congo AHTNA Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit KEWA Nuclear Trans New Guinea ALAMBLAK Sepik KOHUMONO Atlantic-Congo KLAMATH Language isolate