Close back unrounded vowel

The close back unrounded vowel, or high back unrounded vowel,<ref>Template:Vowel terminology</ref> is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA. Typographically, it is a turned letter Template:Angbr; given its relation to the sound represented by the letter Template:Angbr IPA, it can be considered a ligature of 2 Template:Angbrs.

The close back unrounded vowel can in many cases be considered the vocalic equivalent of the voiced velar approximant [ɰ].

File:Spectrogram of close back unrounded vowel (IPA ɯ).png

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Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Acehnese<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'see'	Also described as closer to Template:IPAblink.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
AraraTemplate:Sfnp		îput	main}}	'my skin'	main}}.Template:Sfnp
Arbëreshë		Arbëreshë	main}}	'Arbëreshë'	main}} in standard Albanian.
Azerbaijani		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'expensive'	Closer to an [ɘ]Template:Sfn
Bashkir		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'girl'
Chinese	Mandarin	lang}} / cì	main}}	'thorn'
	Wuhan dialect, Southwestern Mandarin	lang}} / keu	main}}	'to go'
	Some Wu dialects	lang}} / vu	main}}	'father'
Xiang	lang}} / xu	main}}	'fire'
Chuvash		ыхра/ıxra	[ɯɣra]	'garlic'
Crimean Tatar		lang}}	main}}	'my dear'
English	African-AmericanTemplate:Sfnp	hook	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'hook'	Near-close; possible realization of Template:IPAslink.Template:Sfnp
	TidewaterTemplate:Sfnp				Near-close; may be rounded Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp
	Some California speakersTemplate:Sfnp	goose	main}}	'goose'	Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in other dialects.
	New Zealand<ref name="victoriauniv">Template:Cite report</ref>Template:Sfnp	treacle	main}}	'treacle'	main}}, which is variable in rounding and ranges from central to (more often) back and close to close-mid.<ref name="victoriauniv"/>Template:Sfnp Corresponds to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in other accents. Develops from dark L; See New Zealand English phonology
	Some Philadelphia speakersTemplate:Sfnp	plus	main}}	'plus'	Used by some speakers; the exact height and backness is variable.Template:Sfnp It corresponds to Template:IPAblink in other accents. See English phonology
	South AfricanTemplate:Sfnp	pill	main}}	'pill'	main}} before the velarised allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp See South African English phonology
EstonianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'ear'	Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA; can be close-mid central Template:IPAblink or close-mid back Template:IPAblink instead, depending on the speaker.Template:Sfnp See Estonian phonology
Irish	Ulster	lang}}	main}}	'narrow'	See Irish phonology
JapaneseTemplate:Sfnp		lang}} / Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'air'	May be compressed Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Japanese phonology
KatukinaTemplate:Sfnp			main}}	'oscar (fish)'
Kazakh		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'winter'	main}}
KoreanTemplate:Sfnp		lang}} Template:Nowrap / {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'food'	See Korean phonology
Kurdish	Kurmanji (Northern)	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'sour'	See Kurdish phonology. The "i" after "t" always uses this sound if the "t" is "tˤ". However, it can also appear at other places.
	Sorani (Central)	{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} / tirş
Kyrgyz		lang}} / qyz / قىز	main}}	'girl'	See Kyrgyz phonology
PanaráTemplate:Sfnp			main}}	'to breathe'
Portuguese	EuropeanTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'to grab'	Reduced vowel. Near-close.Template:Sfnp Typically transcribed in IPA with Template:Angbr IPA. See Portuguese phonology
Romanian	Some speakers	lang}}	main}}	'when'	Typically described as /ɨ/. See Romanian phonology
Scottish Gaelic		lang}}	main}}	'thin'	See Scottish Gaelic phonology
Sop		lang}}	main}}	'tree'	See Sop language
Tamil		lang}} / aḻagu	[əɻəgɯ]	'beauty'	Known by the Tamil grammar phenomenon குற்றியலுகரம்
Thai	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}} / khuen/khîn	main}}	'to go up'
Turkish<ref name="gk">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'shallow'	main}},<ref name="gk"/> near-close near-back {{#invoke:IPA|main}}<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> and close central Template:IPAblink.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> See Turkish phonology
Turkmen		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	main}}	'green'
Uyghur		lang}} / tilim	main}}	'my language'	In complementary distribution with Template:IPAslink. See Uyghur phonology
Vietnamese		lang}}	main}}	'fourth'	See Vietnamese phonology

See also

• Index of phonetics articles
• Ɯ

References

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External links

• Template:Phoible