Home > Fricative consonant

Fricative consonants are produced by air flowing through a narrow channel made by placing two articulating organs close together (e.g. the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth, as in the pronunciation of English initial "th" in thick, or the back of the tongue and the soft palate, as in the case of German [x], the final consonant of Bach). Turbulent airflow produces a characteristic noise called "frication". Fricatives may be voiceless or voiced (see phonation).

List of fricatives

• [ɸ] voiceless bilabial fricative
• [β] voiced bilabial fricative
• [ʍ] voiceless labial-velar fricative
• [f] voiceless labiodental fricative
• [v] voiced labiodental fricative
• [θ] voiceless dental fricative
• [ð] voiced dental fricative
• [s] voiceless alveolar fricative
• [s'] alveolar ejective fricative
• [z] voiced alveolar fricative
• [ɬ] lateral voiceless alveolar fricative
• [ɮ] lateral voiced alveolar fricative
• [ʃ] voiceless postalveolar fricative
• [ʒ] voiced postalveolar fricativeThe voiced postalveolar fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is Z. The voiced postalveolar fricative oc
• [ʑ] voiced alveolo-palatal fricativeThe voiced alveolo-palatal fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is z\. Features of this consonant: Its
• [ɕ] voiceless alveolo-palatal fricativeThe voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is s\. Features of this consonant: I
• [ʂ] voiceless retroflex fricativeThe voiceless retroflex fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is s`. Features of this consonant: Its man
• [ʐ] voiced retroflex fricativeThe voiced retroflex fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is z`. Features of this consonant: Its manner
• [ç] voiceless palatal fricativeThe voiceless palatal fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is c, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is C. Features of this consonant: Its manne
• [ʝ] voiced palatal fricativeThe voiced palatal fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is , and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is j\. Features of this consonant: Its manner o
• [x] voiceless velar fricativex The voiceless velar fricative is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. Its manner of articulation is a glottalic fricative. Its place of articulation is velar. The symbol used by the International Phonetic Alphabet to represent thi
• [ɣ] voiced velar fricative
• [χ] voiceless uvular fricative
• [ʁ] voiced uvular fricative
• [h] voiceless pharyngeal fricative
• [ʕ] voiced pharyngeal fricative
• [ʢ] voiced epiglottal fricative
• [ʜ] voiceless epiglottal fricative
• [h] voiceless glottal fricative
• [ɦ] voiced glottal fricative

See English language#Consonants for a table of fricatives in English.