Voiced dental, alveolar and postalveolar lateral approximants

The voiced dental, alveolar, and postalveolar lateral approximants are a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents dental, alveolar, and postalveolar lateral approximants is Template:Angbr IPA, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is l.

As a sonorant, lateral approximants are nearly always voiced. Voiceless lateral approximants, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} are common in Sino-Tibetan languages, but uncommon elsewhere. In such cases, voicing typically starts about halfway through the hold of the consonant. No language is known to contrast such a sound with a voiceless alveolar lateral fricative {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.

In a number of languages, including most varieties of English, the phoneme {{#invoke:IPA|main}} becomes velarized ("dark l") in certain contexts. Template:Anchor By contrast, the non-velarized form is the "clear l" (also known as: "light l"), which occurs before and between vowels in certain English standards.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Some languages have only clear l.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Others may not have a clear l at all, or have them only before front vowels (especially Template:IPAblink).

Features

Features of the voiced alveolar lateral approximant:

• There are four specific variants of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}:
  • Dental, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue at the upper teeth, termed respectively apical and laminal.
  • Denti-alveolar, which means it is articulated with the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge, and the tip of the tongue behind upper teeth.
  • Alveolar, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge, termed respectively apical and laminal.
  • Postalveolar, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, termed respectively apical and laminal.

Occurrence

Languages may have clear apical or laminal alveolars, laminal denti-alveolars (such as French), or true dentals, which are uncommon. Laminal denti-alveolars tend to occur in continental European languages.<ref>Schirmer's pocket music dictionary</ref> However, a true dental generally occurs allophonically before {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in languages that have it, as in English health.

Dental or denti-alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Arabic	GulfTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'when'	Laminal denti-alveolar. See Arabic phonology
Chinese	Cantonese	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	[l̪an˨˩]	'orchid'
	Mandarin	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	[l̪an˨˥]
HungarianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'battery'	Laminal denti-alveolar. See Hungarian phonology
ItalianTemplate:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'much, a lot'	Laminal denti-alveolar. Allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp See Italian phonology
MacedonianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'left'	Laminal denti-alveolar. See Macedonian phonology
Malayalam		lang}}	main}}	'Salty'	See Malayalam phonology
MapudungunTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'sea, lake'	Interdental.Template:Sfnp
Norwegian	Urban EastTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'plant (industrial)'	main}} after {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology
SpanishTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'altar'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Spanish phonology
Swedish	Central StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'everything'	Laminal denti-alveolar. See Swedish phonology
TamilTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'tiger'	See Tamil phonology
UzbekTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'future'	Laminal denti-alveolar. Velarized between a non-front rounded vowel and a consonant or juncture phoneme.Template:Sfnp
Vietnamese	HanoiTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'fire'	See Vietnamese phonology

Alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Arabic	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'no'	See Arabic phonology
Armenian	EasternTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'moon'
Assyrian		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'bread'
CatalanTemplate:Sfnp<ref name="ESDCL">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }} {{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'hair spray'	Apical 'front alveolar'.Template:Sfnp<ref name="ESDCL"/> May also be velarized.Template:Sfnp See Catalan phonology
Chuvash		lang}}	[хu'la]	'city'
Dutch	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to let'	Laminal. Some Standard Belgian speakers use the clear {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in all positions.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
	Some Eastern accentsTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'mold'	main}} in all positions.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
Dhivehi		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'song'
English	Most accentsTemplate:Sfnp	let	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to let'	Varies between apical and laminal, with the latter being predominant.Template:Sfnp
	Irish, Geordie<ref name="mark jones">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	tell	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to tell'
Esperanto		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'moon'	See Esperanto phonology
Filipino		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to cook'	See Filipino phonology
Georgian		ლექსი/leksi	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'verse/poetry'	See Georgian phonology
		რბილი/rbili	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'soft'
Greek		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'word'	See Modern Greek phonology
Hebrew		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'night'	See Modern Hebrew phonology.
ItalianTemplate:SfnpTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'bed'	Apical.Template:Sfnp See Italian phonology
Japanese		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'six'	Apical.Template:Sfnp More commonly Template:IPAblink. See Japanese phonology
Kashubian<ref name="treder">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Template:Example needed
Khmer		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'music'	See Khmer phonology
Korean		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'one' or 'work'	Realized as alveolar tap ɾ in the beginning of a syllable. See Korean phonology.
KyrgyzTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'butterfly'	Velarized in back vowel contexts. See Kyrgyz phonology
Laghu		lang}}	main}}	'Laghu language'
Laghuu	Nậm Sài, Sa Pa Town	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}		'Laghuu language'
MapudungunTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to give'
Nepali		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'long'	See Nepali phonology
OdiaTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'good'
Persian		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'llama'	See Persian phonology
PolishTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'field'	main}} ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}) for a small number of speakers. When it does, it might be palatalized to {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Polish phonology
RomanianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'hazelnut'	Apical. See Romanian phonology
Scottish Gaelic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation		CitationClass=web }}</ref>	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'headland'	Apical.Template:Sfnp Contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Scottish Gaelic phonology
SlovakTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'silent'	Syllabic form can be long or short. See Slovak phonology
SloveneTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'airplane'	See Slovene phonology
SpanishTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to speak'	See Spanish phonology
Welsh		lang}}	[djavɔl]	'devil'	See Welsh phonology
UkrainianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'face'	Contrasts with palatalized form. See Ukrainian phonology

Postalveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Igbo	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'bury'
ItalianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'the deer'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp See Italian phonology
TurkishTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'tulip'	Palatalized; contrasts with a velarized dental lateral Template:IPAblink.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp May be devoiced elsewhere. See Turkish phonology
Zapotec	TilquiapanTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'soot'

Variable

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
FaroeseTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'soft'	main}} may be postalveolar, especially after back vowels.Template:Sfnp See Faroese phonology
FrenchTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'he'	Varies between laminal denti-alveolar and apical alveolar, with the latter being predominant.Template:Sfnp See French phonology
German	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'love'	Varies between denti-alveolar, laminal alveolar and apical alveolar.Template:Sfnp
Norwegian	Urban EastTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'life'	main}}.Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology
Portuguese	Most Brazilian dialects,<ref>Depalatalization and consequential iotization in the speech of Fortaleza Template:Webarchive. Page 2. Template:In lang</ref>Template:Sfnp<ref>Template:In lang Accenti romanze: Portogallo e Brasile (portoghese) – The influence of foreign accents on Italian language acquisition Template:Webarchive</ref> some EP speakers<ref name="FinleyRodrigues2019">Template:Cite journal</ref>	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'runaround'<ref>Runaround generator</ref>	Clear, dental to sometimes alveolar.Template:Sfnp Only occurs in syllable onset, with l-vocalization widely occurring in coda. Sometimes found before front vowels only in the European variety. See Portuguese phonology.
		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'Lithuania'

Velarized or pharyngealized alveolar lateral approximant

The voiced velarized alveolar approximant (also known as dark l) is a type of consonantal sound used in some languages. It is an alveolar, denti-alveolar, or dental lateral approximant, with a secondary articulation of velarization or pharyngealization. The regular symbols in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represent this sound are Template:Angbr IPA (for a velarized lateral) and Template:Angbr IPA (for a pharyngealized lateral), though the dedicated letter Template:Angbr IPA, which covers both velarization and pharyngealization, is perhaps more common. The latter should not be confused with belted Template:Angbr IPA, which represents the voiceless alveolar lateral fricative. However, some scholars use that symbol to represent the velarized alveolar lateral approximant anyway<ref>For example Template:Harvcoltxt.</ref> – though such usage is considered non-standard.

If the sound is dental or denti-alveolar, one could use a dental diacritic to indicate so: Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA, Template:Angbr IPA.

Velarization and pharyngealization are generally associated with more dental articulations of coronal consonants, so dark l tends to be dental or denti-alveolar. Clear (non-velarized) l tends to be retracted to an alveolar position.Template:Sfnp

The term dark l is often synonymous with hard l, especially in Slavic languages. (Cf. Hard consonants)

Features

Features of the dark l:

• There are four specific variants of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}:
  • Dental, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue at the upper teeth.
  • Denti-alveolar, which means it is articulated with the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge, and the tip of the tongue behind upper teeth.
  • Alveolar, which means it is articulated with either the tip or, more rarely,Template:Sfnp the blade of the tongue at the alveolar ridge, termed respectively apical and laminal.
  • Postalveolar, which means it is articulated with either the tip or the blade of the tongue behind the alveolar ridge, termed respectively apical and laminal.
• It has a secondary articulation of velarization or pharyngealization, meaning that the back or root of the tongue approaches the soft palate (velum), or the back of the throat, respectively.

Occurrence

Dental or denti-alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Bashkir		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'city'	Velarized dental lateral; occurs in back vowel contexts.
BelarusianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'Belarus'	Laminal denti-alveolar; contrasts with palatalized form. See Belarusian phonology
Bulgarian<ref>Bulgarian phonology</ref>Template:Better source needed		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'chair'	Laminal denti-alveolar. See Bulgarian phonology
CatalanTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'tall'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp See Catalan phonology
Classical ArmenianTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'games'	Template:IPAslink Template:Transliteration in modern Armenian.
IcelandicTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'sailed'	Laminal denti-alveolar; rare. See Icelandic phonology
Kashubian	Older southeastern speakers<ref name="treder"/>	kôłbasa			Laminal denti-alveolar; realized as Template:IPAblink by other speakers.<ref name="treder"/>
LithuanianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'hi'	Laminal denti-alveolar; contrasts with palatalized form. See Lithuanian phonology
MacedonianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'garlic'	main}}) and syllable-finally. See Macedonian phonology
Norwegian	Urban EastTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'speech'	main}} after {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, and sometimes also after {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.Template:Sfnp However, according to Template:Harvcoltxt, this allophone is not velarized.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt, cited in Template:Harvcoltxt</ref> See Norwegian phonology
Polish	Eastern dialectsTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'paw'	main}} in other varieties. See Polish phonology
RussianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'small'	Pharyngealized laminal denti-alveolar. See Russian phonology
Scottish GaelicTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'Mallaig'	Apical dental, occasionally laminal.Template:Sfnp In certain dialects manifests as Template:IPAblink or {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Contrasts with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Scottish Gaelic phonology
Swedish	Northern VästerbottenTemplate:Sfnp	kall	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'cold'	Allophone of /lː/
TurkishTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'servant'	Laminal denti-alveolar; contrasts with a palatalized postalveolar lateral Template:IPAblink.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp May be devoiced elsewhere. See Turkish phonology

Alveolar

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Afrikaans	StandardTemplate:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'table'	Velarized in all positions, especially non-prevocalically.Template:SfnpTemplate:Sfnp See Afrikaans phonology
Albanian	Standard	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'smoking pipe'
Arabic	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'God'	Also transcribed as Template:Angbr IPA. Many accents and dialects lack the sound and instead pronounce {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Arabic phonology
CatalanTemplate:Sfnp	Eastern dialects	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'cell'	Apical. Can be always dark in many dialects. See Catalan phonology
	Western dialects	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to the'
Dutch	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'molds'	main}} before consonants and pauses, and also prevocalically when after the open back vowels {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Many northern speakers realize the final {{#invoke:IPA|main}} as a strongly pharyngealised vocoid {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, whereas some Standard Belgian speakers use the clear {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in all positions.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
	Some Netherlandic accentsTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'to let'	main}} in all positions.Template:Sfnp See Dutch phonology
EnglishTemplate:Sfnp	Australian	feel	Template:Audio-IPA	'feel'	Most often apical; can be always dark in Australia and New Zealand. See Australian English phonology, New Zealand English phonology, and English phonology
	Canadian
	Dublin
	General American
	New Zealand
	Received Pronunciation
	South African
	Scottish	loch	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'loch'	Can be always dark except in some borrowings from Scottish Gaelic
Greek	Northern dialects<ref>Northern Greek Dialects Portal for the Greek Language</ref>	{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}/Template:Transliteration	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'ball'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. See Modern Greek phonology
Georgian		lang}}/Template:Transliteration	[ˈʒo̞ɫo̞]	'raspberry'	An allophone of /l/ before /o u/ and /a/. See Georgian phonology
Kurdish	Sorani	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'joke'	See Kurdish phonology
Romanian	Bessarabian dialectTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'horse'	main}}Template:Fix in standard Romanian. See Romanian phonology
Serbo-CroatianTemplate:Sfnp		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'easy'	Apical; may be syllabic; contrasts with Template:IPAslink. See Serbo-Croatian phonology
UzbekTemplate:Sfnp		Template:Example needed			Apical; between a non-front rounded vowel and a consonant or juncture phoneme. Non-velarized denti-alveolar elsewhere.Template:Sfnp

Variable Template:Anchor

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Portuguese	EuropeanTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'thousand'	Dental and strongly velarized in all environments for most speakers, though less so before front vowels.<ref>On /l/ velarization in European Portuguese Amália Andrade, 14th International Congress of Phonetic Sciences, San Francisco (1999)</ref><ref name="FinleyRodrigues2019"/>
	Older and conservative Brazilian<ref>Template:In lang The process of Norm change for the good pronunciation of the Portuguese language in chant and dramatics in Brazil during 1938, 1858 and 2007 Template:Webarchive Page 36.</ref><ref>TEYSSIER, Paul. "História da Língua Portuguesa", Lisboa: Livraria Sá da Costa, pp. 81-83.</ref>Template:Sfnp<ref>"Um caso de português tonal no Brasil?" – Centro de Comunicação e Expressão – Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Template:In lang. Page 49.</ref>	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA|main}}	'alcohol, ethanol'	main}},<ref>"Um caso de português tonal no Brasil?" – Centro de Comunicação e Expressão – Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina Template:In lang. Page 52.</ref> most often dental. Coda is now vocalized to {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in most of Brazil (as in EP in rural parts of Alto Minho and Madeira).<ref>MELO, Gladstone Chaves de. "A língua do Brasil". 4. Ed. Melhorada e aum., Rio de Janeiro: Padrão, 1981</ref> Stigmatized realizations such as {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, the {{#invoke:IPA|main}} range, Template:IPAblink and even {{#invoke:IPA|main}} (zero) are some other coda allophones typical of Brazil.<ref>Português do sul do Brasil – variação fonológica Template:Webarchive Leda Bisol and Gisela Collischonn. Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 2009. Pages 153–156.</ref> See Portuguese phonology

See also

• Index of phonetics articles
• Lateral consonant
• Velarization
• L-vocalization
• Ł

References

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External links

• Dark L
• Template:Phoible
• Template:Phoible