Editing Tumbuka language (section)

===Consonants ===
Tumbuka consonants are similar to those of the neighbouring languages of Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia, but with certain differences. The continuant sounds {{IPA|/ɣ/}}, {{IPA|/β/}} and {{IPA|/h/}}, which are absent or marginal in other related languages, are common in Tumbuka. Also common are the palatalised sounds {{IPA|/vʲ/}}, {{IPA|/fʲ/}}, {{IPA|/bʲ/}}, {{IPA|/pʲ/}}, {{IPA|/skʲ/}}, {{IPA|/zgʲ/}}, and {{IPA|/ɽʲ/}}. In Tumbuka there are no affricates such as {{IPA|/psʲ/}}, {{IPA|/bzʲ/}}, {{IPA|/t͡s/}}, {{IPA|/d͡z/}}. The sounds {{IPA|/s/}} and {{IPA|/z/}} are never nasalised in Tumbuka, so that Nyanja {{lang|ny|nsómba}} ('fish') = Tumbuka {{lang|tum|somba}}. The sound {{IPA|/ʃ/}} is found only in foreign words such as {{lang|tum|shati}} ('shirt') and {{lang|tum|shuga}} ('sugar'). Tumbuka {{IPA|/ɽ/}} sometimes corresponds to {{IPA|/d/}}, for example Chewa {{lang|ny|kudwala}} 'to be ill' = Tumbuka {{lang|tum|kulwala}}, Chewa {{lang|ny|kudya}} 'to eat' = Tumbuka {{lang|tum|kulya}}. The pronunciation of "sk" and "zg" varies according to dialect.

Tumbuka consonants are frequently either palatalised (i.e. followed by /y/) or rounded (i.e. followed by /w/.) Some of them can also be preceded by a [[Homorganic consonant|homorganic]] nasal (/n/, /ng'/ or /m/). The possible consonant combinations are shown in the table below:

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|+ Table of Tumbuka consonants<ref>Chavula (2016), pp. 11–13.</ref><ref>Vail (1972), pp. 4–19.</ref>
|-
! rowspan="2" colspan="2" | 
! colspan="3" | [[Labial consonant|labial]]
! colspan="3" | [[Dental consonant|dental]]
! colspan="2" | [[Palatal consonant|palatal]]
! colspan="2" | [[Velar consonant|velar]]
! rowspan="2" | [[Glottal consonant|glottal]]
|-
! <small>plain</small> || <small>lab.</small> || <small>pal.</small>
! <small>plain</small> || <small>lab.</small> || <small>pal.</small>
! <small>plain</small> || <small>lab.</small>
! <small>plain</small> || <small>lab.</small>
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|nasal]]
| m<br />{{IPAslink|m}}
| mw<br />{{IPAslink|mʷ}}
| my<br />{{IPAslink|mʲ}}
| n<br />{{IPAslink|n}}
| nw<br />{{IPAslink|nʷ}}
| ny<br />{{IPAslink|nʲ}}
| 
| 
| ng'<br />{{IPAslink|ŋ}}
| ng'w<br />{{IPAslink|ŋʷ}}
| 
|-
! rowspan="5" | [[plosive]]/<br>[[affricate]]
! <small>unvoiced</small>
| p<br />{{IPAslink|p}}
| pw<br />{{IPAslink|pʷ}}
| py<br />{{IPAslink|pʲ}}
| t<br />{{IPAslink|t}}
| tw<br />{{IPAslink|tʷ}}
| ty<br />{{IPAslink|tʲ}}
| c<br />{{IPAslink|t͡ʃ}}
| cw<br />{{IPAslink|t͡ʃʷ}}
| k<br />{{IPAslink|k}}
| kw<br />{{IPAslink|kʷ}}
| 
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
| b<br />{{IPAslink|ɓ}}
| bw<br />{{IPAslink|ɓʷ}}
| by<br />{{IPAslink|bʲ}}
| d<br />{{IPAslink|ɗ}}
| dw<br />{{IPAslink|ɗʷ}}
| dy<br />{{IPAslink|ɗʲ}}
| j<br />{{IPAslink|d͡ʒ}}
| jw<br />{{IPAslink|d͡ʒʷ}}
| g<br />{{IPAslink|g}}
| gw<br />{{IPAslink|gʷ}}
| 
|-
! <small>aspirated</small>
| ph<br />{{IPAslink|pʰ}}
| phw<br />{{IPAslink|pʷʰ}}
| phy<br />{{IPAslink|pʲʰ}}
| th<br />{{IPAslink|tʰ}}
| thw<br />{{IPAslink|tʷʰ}}
| thy<br />{{IPAslink|tʲʰ}}
| ch<br />{{IPAslink|t͡ʃʰ}}
| 
| kh<br />{{IPAslink|kʰ}}
| khw<br />{{IPAslink|kʷʰ}}
| 
|-
! <small>nasalised</small>
| mb<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐb}}
| mbw<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐbʷ}}
| mby<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐbʲ}}
| nd<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿd}}
| ndw<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿdʷ}}
| (ndy){{efn|Only in the word {{lang|tum|ndyali}}.}}<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿdʲ}}
| nj<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿd͡ʒ}}
| 
| ng<br />{{IPAslink|ᵑg}}
| ngw<br />{{IPAslink|ᵑgʷ}}
| 
|-
! <small>nasalised<br>aspirated</small>
| mph<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐpʰ}}
| mphw<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐpʷʰ}}
| mphy<br />{{IPAslink|ᵐpʲʰ}}
| nth<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿtʰ}}
| nthw<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿtʷʰ}}
| (nthy)<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿtʲʰ}}
| nch<br />{{IPAslink|ⁿt͡ʃʰ}}
| 
| nkh<br />{{IPAslink|ᵑkʰ}}
| nkhw<br />{{IPAslink|ᵑkʷʰ}}
| 
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[fricative]]
! <small>unvoiced</small>
| f<br />{{IPAslink|f}}
| fw<br />{{IPAslink|fʷ}}
| fy<br />{{IPAslink|fʲ}}
| s<br />{{IPAslink|s}}
| sw<br />{{IPAslink|sʷ}}
| sk (sy)<br />{{IPAslink|sʲ}}
| (sh)<br />{{IPAslink|ʃ}}
| 
| 
| 
| h<br />{{IPAslink|h}}
|-
! <small>voiced</small>
| v<br />{{IPAslink|v}}
| vw<br />{{IPAslink|vʷ}}
| vy<br />{{IPAslink|vʲ}}
| z<br />{{IPAslink|z}}
| zw<br />{{IPAslink|zʷ}}
| zg<br />{{IPAslink|zʲ}}
| 
| 
| 
| 
| 
|-
! colspan="2" | [[semivowel]]/ [[Liquid consonant|liquid]]
| ŵ<br />{{IPAslink|β}}
| w<br />{{IPAslink|w}}
| 
| l/r<br />{{IPAslink|ɽ}}
| lw/rw<br />{{IPAslink|ɽʷ}}
| ly/ry<br />{{IPAslink|ɽʲ}}
| y<br />{{IPAslink|j}}
| 
| gh<br />{{IPAslink|ɣ}}
| 
| 
|}
{{notelist}}