Template:Short description Template:Infobox IPA Template:Infobox IPA

The voiced retroflex approximant is a type of consonant used in some languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is r\`. The IPA symbol is a turned lowercase letter r with a rightward hook protruding from the lower right of the letter.

The velar bunched approximant found in some varieties of Dutch and American English sounds similar to the retroflex approximant but it has a very different articulation.

FeaturesEdit

File:Voiced retroflex approximant.svg
A schematic mid-sagittal section of an articulation of a voiced retroflex approximant [ɻ]

Features of the voiced retroflex approximant:

Template:Approximant Template:Retroflex Template:Voiced Template:Oral Template:Central articulation Template:Pulmonic

OccurrenceEdit

Family Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Sinitic Chinese Mandarin lang}} {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} [ɻ̺͢ɻ̺̞̍˥˩ku̯ɑ͢ŋ˥] 'sunlight' Apical.<ref>Template:Cite conference</ref> As an initial in free variation between fricative and approximant, but never has friction as strong as a true fricative (Chinese "fully muddy"/全浊-class) to trigger a (free or conditional) devoicing or postvoicing into /ʐ̥ʱ/, nor weak enough to become an apical vowel. As a rime it is an apical vowel that is frequently coarticulated with a close near-back unrounded vowel /ɨ̟/ (thus phonetically {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, but this phonetic representation should be avoided as the tie-bar for coarticulation may be misunderstood as a sliding into an erhua rhotic vowel, a phonemically distinct syllable in Chinese), but it can be prolonged indefinitely and never truly developed into an /ɨ̟/. Both the consonant and the vowel may gain some friction especially when prolonged to force a more "distinct/clear" effect in teaching or when swearing, and thus it may be inaccurately transcribed as fricative Template:IPAblink both as initial and as rime (when precision is necessary, a true fricative in Wu Chinese may be transcribed as [ʐ̥ʱ], as that is how it is pronounced in the first syllable). See Standard Chinese phonology.

The character 日 (sun), when pronounced with an overall strengthened friction (on both z and ɿ), may likely be understood as a profanity,Template:Which thus pronouncing as an approximant is important; but the two do not form a minimal pair, because the profanity can also be pronounced with little friction (though in some other dialects they further evolved to form a minimal pair).

Nungish Derung Tvrung [tə˧˩ɻuŋ˥˧] 'Derung'
Germanic English Some American dialects red {{#invoke:IPA|main}} 'red' Labialized (pronounced with lips rounded). See Pronunciation of English /r/
Some Hiberno-English dialects
Some West Country English
Arnhem Enindhilyagwa lang}} main}} 'fire'
Germanic FaroeseTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'heard' main}}.Template:Sfnp Sometimes voiceless Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See Faroese phonology
Hellenic Greek Cretan (Sfakia and Mylopotamos variations) regionTemplate:Sfnp lang}} Template:Transliteration main}} 'milk' Intervocalic allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} before {{#invoke:IPA|main}}. Recessive. See Modern Greek phonology
Eskimo-Aleut Inuktitut Nattilingmiutut lang}} main}} 'she replies'
Dravidian Malayalam lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang|lang}}/āam main}} 'depth'
Mapudungun MapucheTemplate:Sfnp lang}} main}} 'flower' main}}; may be Template:IPAblink or Template:IPAblink instead.Template:Sfnp
Romance Portuguese Many Centro-Sul registers lang}} main}} 'letters' Allophone of rhotic consonants (and sometimes {{#invoke:IPA|main}}) in the syllable coda. Mainly<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> found in rural São Paulo, Paraná, south of Minas Gerais and surrounding areas, with the more common and prestigious realization in metropolitan areas being Template:IPAblink and/or rhotic vowel instead. As with Template:IPAblink, it appeared as a mutation of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref><ref>Template:In lang Syllable coda /r/ in the "capital" of the paulista hinterland: sociolinguistic analisis. Template:Webarchive Cândida Mara Britto LEITE. Page 111 (page 2 in the attached PDF)</ref><ref>Template:In lang Callou, Dinah. Leite, Yonne. "Iniciação à Fonética e à Fonologia". Jorge Zahar Editora 2001, p. 24</ref> See Portuguese phonology.
Caipira lang}} main}} 'rainstorm'
Conservative Piracicabano lang}} main}} 'thankful' (m.)
Dravidian TamilTemplate:Sfnp lang}}/Tami Template:Audio-IPA 'Tamil' See Tamil phonology. May be merged with Template:IPAblink for some modern speakers.
Pama-Nyungan Western Desert Pitjantjatjara dialect lang}} main}} 'Uluru'
Isolate Yaghan lang}} main}} 'cave'

See alsoEdit

NotesEdit

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ReferencesEdit

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External linksEdit

Template:IPA navigation Template:LetterR