Close back rounded vowel

Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Infobox IPA Template:IPA vowels

The close back rounded vowel, or high back rounded vowel,<ref>Template:Vowel terminology</ref> is a type of vowel sound used in many spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is u.

In most languages, this rounded vowel is pronounced with protruded lips ('endolabial'). However, in a few cases the lips are compressed ('exolabial').

{{#invoke:IPA|main}} alternates with labio-velar approximant {{#invoke:IPA|main}} in certain languages, such as French, and in the diphthongs of some languages, {{#invoke:IPA|main}} with the non-syllabic diacritic and {{#invoke:IPA|main}} are used in different transcription systems to represent the same sound.

Close back protruded vowelEdit

The close back protruded vowel is the most common variant of the close back rounded vowel. It is typically transcribed in IPA simply as Template:Angbr IPA (the convention used in this article). As there is no dedicated IPA diacritic for protrusion, the symbol for the close back rounded vowel with an old diacritic for labialization, Template:Angbr IPA, can be used as an ad hoc symbol Template:Angbr IPA. Another possible transcription is Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA (a close back vowel modified by endolabialization), but that could be misread as a diphthong.

FeaturesEdit

Template:Close vowel Template:Back vowel Template:Protruded vowel

File:IPA u Sagittal Section.svg

Sagittal section of a vocal tract pronouncing Template:Angbr IPA. Note that a wavy glottis in this diagram indicates a voiced sound.

OccurrenceEdit

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Afrikaans	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'book'	Only weakly rounded.Template:Sfnp See Afrikaans phonology
Arabic	Standard Template:Sfnp	lang}}/ǧanuub	main}}	'south'	See Arabic phonology
Armenian	Eastern Template:Sfnp	lang}}/dur	main}}	'door'
Bavarian	Amstetten dialect<ref name="tm82">Template:Harvcoltxt, cited in Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>	und	main}}	'and'	main}}, near-close Template:IPAblink, close-mid Template:IPAblink and open-mid Template:IPAblink back rounded vowels in addition to the open central unrounded Template:IPAblink.<ref name="tm82"/>
Bulgarian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/lud	main}}	'crazy'	See Bulgarian phonology
Catalan Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'juice'	See Catalan phonology
Chinese	Mandarin Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'earth'	See Standard Chinese phonology
	Cantonese Template:Sfnp	lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'man'	See Cantonese phonology
	Shanghainese Template:Sfnp	lang}}/ku	main}}	'melon'	Height varies between close and close-mid; contrasts with a close to close-mid back compressed vowel.Template:Sfnp
Chuvash		урам	main}}	'street'
Danish	StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'you'	See Danish phonology
Dutch	StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'foot'	Somewhat fronted in Belgian Standard Dutch.Template:Sfnp
English	Australian Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	book	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'book'	Corresponds to Template:IPAblink in other accents. See Australian English phonology
	Cape Flats Template:Sfnp	book	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'book'	May be advanced to Template:IPAblink, or lowered and unrounded to Template:IPAblink.Template:Sfnp See South African English phonology
	Cultivated South African Template:Sfnp	boot	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'boot'	Typically more front than cardinal {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}. See White South African English phonology and American English phonology.
	General American Template:Sfnp
	Geordie Template:Sfnp				May be central Template:IPAblink instead.
	Irish<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>				Realized as central Template:IPAblink in Ulster.
	Some Multicultural London speakersTemplate:Sfnp				More commonly front Template:IPAblink.
	Conservative Received Pronunciation Template:Sfnp				Realized as central Template:IPAblink in modern RP.
	Welsh Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp
	Pakistani Template:Sfnp		main}}
	Greater New York City<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>		main}}<ref>Template:Cite book chpt. 17</ref>
	New Zealand<ref name="victoriauniv">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfnp \|\| treacle \|\| {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} \|\| 'treacle' \|\| Possible realization of the unstressed vowel {{#invoke:IPA\|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. See New Zealand English phonology
Estonian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'feather' (gen. sg.)	See Estonian phonology
Finnish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'flower'	See Finnish phonology
Faroese Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'yellow'	See Faroese phonology
French Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'where'	See French phonology
Georgian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/guda	main}}	'leather bag'
German	Standard Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'foot'	See Standard German phonology
German	Many speakersTemplate:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'hour'	main}} in Switzerland, Austria and partially also in Western and Southwestern Germany (Palatinate, Swabia).Template:Sfnp See Standard German phonology
Greek	Modern StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}} / pou	main}}	'where'	See Modern Greek phonology
Hungarian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'way'	See Hungarian phonology
Icelandic Template:Sfnp<ref>Template:Harvcoltxt, cited in Template:Harvcoltxt</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'you'	See Icelandic phonology
Indonesian<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Standard Indonesian	unta	[unta]	'camel'	See Indonesian phonology
Italian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'all', 'everything'	See Italian phonology
Kaingang Template:Sfnp		main}}	[ˈndukːi]	'in the belly'
Kazakh		туған/tuğan	main}}	'native'	Transcribed phonemically as Template:Angbr IPA
Khmer		lang}} / Template:Transliteration	main}}	'village'	See Khmer phonology
Korean		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'snow'	See Korean phonology
Kurdish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp<ref>Fattah describes the sound as being voyelle longue centrale arrondie (p. 116).</ref>	Kurmanji (Northern)	lang}}	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'wood'	See Kurdish phonology
	Sorani (Central)	{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}/çû
	Palewani (Southern)	{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}/çû
Latin	Classical Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'pig'
Limburgish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'beautiful'	BackTemplate:Sfnp or near-back,Template:Sfnp depending on the dialect. The example word is from the Maastrichtian dialect.
Lower Sorbian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'tooth'
Luxembourgish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'air'	See Luxembourgish phonology
Malay		ubat	main}}	'medicine'	See Malay phonology
Malayalam		lang}}	main}}	'Salt'	See Malayalam phonology
Mongolian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/üür	main}}	'nest'
Mpade Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'mouse'
Nogai		lang}}	main}}	'water'
Persian		دور/dur	[duɾ]	'far'	See Persian phonology
Polish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	Template:Audio-IPA	'beech tree'	Also represented orthographically by Template:Angbr. See Polish phonology
Portuguese Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'you'	See Portuguese phonology
Romanian Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'one'	See Romanian phonology
Russian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/uzkiy/uzkij	Template:Audio-IPA	'narrow'	See Russian phonology
Scottish Gaelic		ùbhlan	main}}	'apples'	main}} in most dialects. In Lewis and Wester Ross as an allophone in proximity to broad sonorants; {{#invoke:IPA\|main}} elsewhere fronted to Template:IPAblink or Template:IPAblink.<ref name="SGDS">{{#invoke:citation/CS1\|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Sfnp
Serbo-Croatian Template:Sfnp		lang}} / {{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}	main}}	'rainbow'	See Serbo-Croatian phonology
Shiwiar Template:Sfnp		Template:Example needed
Spanish Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'curable'	See Spanish phonology
Sotho Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'fame'	Contrasts close, near-close and close-mid back rounded vowels.Template:Sfnp See Sotho phonology
Swahili		lang}}	[ubongo]	'brain'
Tagalog		lang}}	[ˈʔutɐŋ]	'debt'
Thai	StandardTemplate:Sfnp	ชลบุรี/chonburi	Template:Audio-IPA	'Chonburi'
Turkish Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'far'	See Turkish phonology
Udmurt Template:Sfnp		lang}}/urėtė	main}}	'to divide'
Ukrainian Template:Sfnp		lang}}/rukh	main}}	'motion'	See Ukrainian phonology
Upper Sorbian Template:Sfnp Template:Sfnp		lang}}	main}}	'beetle'
Urdu		{{#invoke:Lang\|lang}}/dur	{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}	'far'	See Urdu phonology
Welsh		mwg	[muːɡ]	'smoke'	See Welsh phonology
West Frisian		jûn	[juːn]	'evening, tonight'	See West Frisian phonology
Yoruba Template:Sfnp		itọju	[itɔju]
Zapotec	Tilquiapan Template:Sfnp	gdu	main}}	'all'

Close back compressed vowelEdit

Template:Infobox IPA Some languages, such as Japanese and Swedish, have a close back vowel that has a distinct type of rounding, called compressed or exolabial.Template:Sfnp Only Shanghainese is known to contrast it with the more typical protruded (endolabial) close back vowel, but the height of both vowels varies from close to close-mid.Template:Sfnp

There is no dedicated diacritic for compression in the IPA. However, compression of the lips can be shown with the letter Template:IPAalink as Template:Angbr IPA (simultaneous {{#invoke:IPA|main}} and labial compression) or Template:Angbr IPA ({{#invoke:IPA|main}} modified with labial compression). The spread-lip diacritic Template:Angbr IPA may also be used with a rounded vowel letter Template:Angbr IPA as an ad hoc symbol, but 'spread' technically means unrounded.

FeaturesEdit

Template:Close vowel Template:Back vowel Template:Compressed vowel

OccurrenceEdit

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Chinese	Shanghainese Template:Sfnp	lang}}/tub	main}}	'capital'	Height varies between close and close-mid; contrasts with a close to close-mid back protruded vowel.Template:Sfnp
Japanese Template:Sfnp		lang}} / Template:Transliteration	Template:Audio-IPA	'air'	Near-back; may be realized as central Template:IPAblink by younger speakers.Template:Sfnp See Japanese phonology
Lizu Template:Sfnp		{{#invoke:IPA\|main}}Template:Clarify		'feather'	Near-back.Template:Sfnp
Norwegian Template:Sfnp<ref>While Template:Harvcoltxt does not describe the exact type of rounding of this vowel, some other sources (e.g. Template:Harvcoltxt and Template:Harvcoltxt) state explicitly that it is compressed.</ref>		lang}}	main}}	'courage'	The example word is from Urban East Norwegian, in which the vowel can be diphthongized to {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}.Template:Sfnp See Norwegian phonology
Swedish	Central StandardTemplate:Sfnp Template:Sfnp	lang}}	main}}	'unease'	main}} or {{#invoke:IPA\|main}}Template:Sfnp (hear the word: Template:Audio-IPA). See Swedish phonology