Voiced bilabial fricative

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The voiced bilabial fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is B. The official symbol Template:Angbr IPA is the Greek letter beta.

This letter is also often used to represent the bilabial approximant, though that is more precisely written with a lowering diacritic, that is Template:Angbr IPA. That sound may also be transcribed as an advanced labiodental approximant Template:Angbr IPA, in which case the diacritic is again frequently omitted, since no contrast is likely.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref> It has been proposed that either a turned Template:Angbr IPA, reversed Template:Angbr IPA or affricate Template:Angbr IPA can be used as a dedicated symbol for the bilabial approximant, but despite occasional usage none of them have gained general acceptance.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

It is extremely rare for a language to make a phonemic contrast between the voiced bilabial fricative and the bilabial approximant. The Mapos Buang language of New Guinea contains this contrast. Its bilabial approximant is analyzed as filling a phonological gap in the labiovelar series of the consonant system rather than the bilabial series.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> Proto-Germanic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and Proto-Italic<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> are also reconstructed as having had this contrast, albeit with {{#invoke:IPA|main}} being an allophone for another consonant in both cases. In Bashkir language, it is an intervocal allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}}, and it is contrastive with {{#invoke:IPA|main}}: {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} Template:Gloss, {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} {{#invoke:IPA|main}} Template:Gloss.

The bilabial fricative is diachronically unstable (likely to be considerably varied between dialects of a language that makes use of it) and is likely to shift to {{#invoke:IPA|main}}.<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt, citing Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>

The sound is not the primary realization of any sound in English dialects except for Chicano English, but it can be produced by approximating the normal English {{#invoke:IPA|main}} between the lips; it can also sometimes occur as an allophone of {{#invoke:IPA|main}} after bilabial consonants.

FeaturesEdit

Features of the voiced bilabial fricative:

Template:Fricative Template:Bilabial Template:Voiced Template:Oral Template:Central-lateral Template:Pulmonic

OccurrenceEdit

Voiced bilabial fricativeEdit

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Akei		{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}		'four'
Alekano		lang}}	main}}	'nothing'
Angor		lang}}	main}}	'horn'
Bengali	Eastern dialects	lang}}	main}}]	'Visa'	Allophone of Template:IPAslink in Bangladesh and Tripura; {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} used in Western dialects.
Berta		{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}		'no'
Catalan<ref name="wheeler">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'before'	main}}. Mainly found in betacist ({{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} merging) dialects. See Catalan phonology
Chinese dialects	Fuzhou<ref name="zhuqing">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	lang}} {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'eighth day of the month'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in certain intervocalic positions.<ref name="zhuqing"/>
Chinese dialects	Suburban Shanghainese	碗盞 ve tse	main}}	'bowl'	main}} or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in other Wu dialects<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Comorian		upvendza	main}}	'to love'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}
Coptic	Bohairic	Template:Coptic	main}}	'brick'	Shifted to Template:IPAblink with a syllable coda allophone of Template:IPAblink in a later stage.
Coptic	Sahidic	Template:Coptic	main}}	'brick'
Dahalo<ref name="mad34">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}		'to want'	main}}, and may be simply a plosive Template:IPAblink instead.<ref name="mad34"/>
English	Some dialects	upvote	main}}	'upvote'	Less-common allophone of Template:IPAslink after {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}, or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} (the more-common alteration being the shifting of the earlier consonant to {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}, {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}, or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}, respectively, although {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}/{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}/{{#invoke:IPA\|main}} exist in free variation with {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}/{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}/{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}).
English	Chicano	very	main}}	'very'	May be realized as Template:IPAblink instead.
Ewe<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'Ewe'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}
Fijian		ivava	main}}	'shoe'
German<ref name="Krech">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref><ref name="Moosmueller">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation		CitationClass=web }}. This source mentions only intervocalic {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.</ref> \|\| {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}} \|\| {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} \|\| 'but' \|\| Intervocalic and pre-lateral allophone of {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in casual speech.<ref name="Krech"/><ref name="Moosmueller"/> See Standard German phonology
Hopi		tsivot	main}}	'five'
Japanese<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'Kobe'	main}} only in fast speech between vowels. See Japanese phonology
Kabyle		lang}}	main}}	'to cut'
Kinyarwanda		lang}}	main}}	'children'
Korean		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'later'	main}} before {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}. See Korean phonology
Luhya	Wanga Dialect	Nabongo	main}}	'title for a king'
Mapos Buang<ref name=":0" />		venġévsën	main}}	'prayer'	Mapos Buang has both a voiced bilabial fricative and a bilabial approximant as separate phonemes. The fricative is transcribed as Template:Angbr, and the approximant as Template:Angbr.<ref name=":0" />
Nepali		lang}}	main}}	'Meeting'	Allophone of /bʱ/. See Nepali phonology
Portuguese	European<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref><ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'Saturday'	main}}. See Portuguese phonology
Ripuarian	Colognian Template:Citation needed	lang}}	main}}	'wine'	main}} for some speakers; can be {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} instead.Template:Citation needed See Colognian phonology
Sardinian	Logudorese<ref name=log>(Italian) http://www.antoninurubattu.it/rubattu/grammatica-sarda-italiano-sardo.html Template:Webarchive</ref>	paba	Template:Audio-IPA	'pope'	main}} as well as word-initial {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} when the preceding word ends with a vowel and there is no pause between the words.<ref name=log />
Turkish<ref name="gk6">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'body'	main}} before and after rounded vowels.<ref name="gk6"/> See Turkish phonology
Turkmen		lang}}	main}}	'country'
Venda<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'work party held by one who wants to have the land ploughed or cultivated'	Contrasts with /v/ and /w/
Zapotec	Tilquiapan<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	Template:Example needed			main}}

Bilabial approximantEdit

Template:Anchor

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Amharic<ref name="hayward48">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'flower'	main}} medially between sonorants.<ref name="hayward48"/>
Asturian		lang}}	main}}	'swing'	main}}
Basque<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'daughter'	main}}
Catalan<ref name="wheeler" />		lang}}	main}}	'before'	main}}. Mainly found in betacist ({{#invoke:IPA\|main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} merging) dialects. See Catalan phonology
Cia-Cia		ᄫᅡᆯ루/walu	[β̞alu]	'eight'	Allophone of /β/
Dutch	SouthernTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'cheek'	main}} in northern Dutch.
Indonesian		tawa	[taβ̞a]	'laugh'	Allophone of /w/ by some younger speakers.
Japanese		lang}}/{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'me'	main}}.Template:Sfnp See Japanese phonology
Katë<ref>Template:Cite thesis</ref>	Western	lang}}	main}}	'wood'	main}} and {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} in other dialects.
Kyrgyz		ооба	[оːˈβ̞a]	'yes'	Allophone of /b/ medially between vowels.
Limburgish<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref><ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'to want'	The example word is from the Maastrichtian dialect.
Lombard		lang}}	main}}	'he was going away'	main}} when intervocalic. Used also as an allophone for other positions.
Mapos Buang<ref name=":0" />		wabeenġ	main}}	'kind of yam'	Mapos Buang has both a voiced bilabial fricative and a bilabial approximant as separate phonemes. The fricative is transcribed as {v}, and the approximant as {w}.<ref name=":0" />
Occitan	Gascon	lang}}	main}}	'then'	main}}
Ripuarian	Kerkrade<ref name="skd">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'smoke'	main}}.<ref name="skd"/> See Kerkrade dialect phonology
Spanish<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'lava'	Ranges from close fricative to approximant.<ref>Phonetic studies such as Template:Harvcoltxt have found that Spanish voiced stops may surface as spirants with various degrees of constriction. These allophones are not limited to regular fricative articulations, but range from articulations that involve a near complete oral closure to articulations involving a degree of aperture quite close to vocalization</ref> Allophone of {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}. See Spanish phonology
Swedish	Central Standard<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	lang}}	main}}	'problem'	main}} in casual speech. See Swedish phonology
Ukrainian<ref name="zk">Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'she'	main}}. Can vary with labiodental Template:IPAblink.<ref name="zk"/> See Ukrainian phonology