Close back unrounded vowel

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IPA – number	316
IPA – text	ɯ
IPA – image
Entity	ɯ
X-SAMPA	M
Kirshenbaum	u-
Sound sample (help·info)

The close back unrounded vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ɯ, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is M. The IPA symbol is a turned letter m, although given its relation to the sound represented by the letter u, it can be considered a u with an extra "bowl". The sound is sometimes referred to as "unrounded u".

Contents 1 Features 2 Occurrence 3 See also 4 References 5 Bibliography

[edit] Features

• Its vowel height is close, which means the tongue is positioned as close as possible to the roof of the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant.
• Its vowel backness is back, which means the tongue is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant.
• Its vowel roundedness is unrounded, which means that the lips are spread.

[edit] Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Alekano		hanuva	[hɑnɯβɑ]	'nothing'
Azeri		qırx	[ɡɯrx]	'forty'
Crimean Tatar		canım	[dʒanɯm]	'please'
Irish	Ulster	saol	[sɯːl̪ˠ]	'life, world'	See Irish phonology
Korean[1]		금 (金) / geum	[kɯm]	'gold'	See Korean phonology
Kyrgyz		кыз	[qɯʒ]	'girl'
Scottish Gaelic		caol	[kʰɯːl̪ˠ]	'thin'
Turkish		ılık	[ɯˈɫɯk]	'mild'	See Turkish phonology
Vietnamese		tư	[tɯ̄]	'fourth'	See Vietnamese phonology

The letter ɯ is sometimes used for Japanese /u/, but that sound is rounded, albeit with labial compression rather than protrusion.

[edit] See also

• list of phonetics topics

[edit] References

[edit] Bibliography

• Lee, Hyun Bok (1999), "Korean", Handbook of the International Phonetic Association:A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet, Cambridge University Press, 120-123, ISBN 0-521-63751-1