Languages

Abbreviations: C.I.= consonant inventory, I-E = Indo-European, P.I. = phonological inventory, S-T = Sino-Tibetan

Language Alternative(s) Family Region(s) Remarks on phonetic and phonological features
Abkhaz Abkhazian Caucasian Abkhaz, Georgia, Turkey Ejective consonants in contrast with pulmonic
Acoma Western Keresan Keresan New Mexico P.I contains ejective affricate
Adyghe Circassian Caucasian Adyget Oblast, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Syria Ejective consonants in contrast with pulmonic
Ainu   Isolate N. Japan  
Akan   Kwa Ghana Vowel harmony. Lexical tone.
Albanian   I-E Albania, Kosovo Clear and dark /l/ in contrast
Amharic   Semitic Ethiopia P.I contains ejective fricative
Aranda   Pama-Nyungan Australia: Alice Springs P.I. contains nasally released stops
Arapaho   Algonquian USA: Wyoming  
Arapana Arapani, Arabana Pama-Nyungan South Australia P.I. contains nasally released stops
Arawak Lokono Arawakan French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela Oral and nasalised vowels in contrast
Armenian (Eastern)   I-E Armenia, Iran, Turkey P.I contains ejective consonants
Axluxlay Chalupí Mataco-Guaicuru Paraguay P.I. may contain velar lateral affricate
Basque   Isolate SE France, NE Spain  
Bella Coola   Isolate Canada: Brit. Columbia Has words without vowels. Fricatives and stops may be syllabic.
Breton   I-E France: Brittany Initial consonant mutations
Bura   Afro-Asiatic Nigeria Contrastive use of creaky voice
Burmese   S-T Burma, Bangladesh P.I contains voiceless nasals
Cantonese   S-T China and many overseas communities Large lexical tone inventory
Chipewyan   Athabaskan Canada: Alberta,Manitoba, NW Territories, Saskatchewan P.I. contains lateral affricate.
Comanche   Uto-Aztecan USA:Oklahoma P.I. contains voiceless vowels
Dafla Nisi Sino-Tibetan Assam, Arunachal, India(Pradesh) P.I. contains voiceless vowels
Dan   Mande Ivory Coast Five contrastive level lexical tones
Delaware   Algonquian Canada:Ontario, USA:Oklahoma  
Dido Tsez Caucasian S. Dagestan P.I. contains pharyngealised vowels
Diegueño   Hokan Mexico, USA:California P.I contains lateral fricative
Dinka   Nilo-Saharan Sudan Contrastive use of breathy voice and creaky voice for vowels.
Dogon   Niger-Congo Mali, Burkina Faso Lexical tone
Dogri   I-E India:Jammu & Kashmir P.I. contains voiced retroflex flap
Dyirbal   Pama-Nyungan Australia: Northern Queensland Voicing not contrastive for consonants
Efik   Niger-Congo Nigeria, Cameroon Vowel harmony
Enga   Papuan Papua New Guinea P.I. contains voiceless vowels
Estonian   Uralic Estonia, Latvia P.I contains short, long and overlong vowels and consonants
Etsako   Kwa Nigeria Lexical tone
Even   Altaic Russia P.I contains pharyngealised vowels
Ewe   Niger-Congo Ghana, Togo Bilabial and labiodental fricatives in contrast
Faroese   I-E Faroe Islands, Denmark Post-vocalic v- stops are pre-aspirated
Fe'Fe Bafang Niger-Congo Cameroon Lexical tone
Georgian   Caucasian Georgia, Turkey P.I. contains ejectives
Haida   Na-Dene Canada: B. Columbia, USA:Alaska Large C.I.
Hausa   Chadic Nigeria Lexical tone
Hawaiian   Austronesian USA:Hawaii Very small P.I. C.I contains no apical plosive.
Hopi   Uto-Aztecan USA:Arizona P.I. contains short, long and overlong vowels
Igbo   Kwa Nigeria Claimed to have voiceless implosives in P.I.
Ik   Nilo-Saharan Uganda P.I. contains voiceless vowels
Ingush   North Caucasian Ingushetia Plosives said to be pre-aspirated.
Kabardian   North Caucasian Cherkes,Kabard-Balkar, Karachay, Turkey P.I contains ejective fricatives.
Karen   S-T Burma, Thailand Has 3 level tones
Khmer   Austro-asiatic Cambodia C.I. contains implosives
Kilivila   Austronesian Papua New Guinea Contrast between rounded and unrounded labial segments.
Klamath   Penutian USA: Oregon Empty onset disallowed. P.I. contains glottalised lateral.
Kpelle   Mande Liberia P.I. contains double articulation plosives
Kwakiutl Kwakw'ala Wakashan Canada: Vancouver Is. and British Columbia Has words without vowels
Lango   Nilo-Saharan Sudan Contrastive creaky voice for vowels
Maori   Polynesian New Zealand and neighbouring islands No voicing contrast for consonants. Small C.I.
Mapudungun   Araucanian Argentina, Chile Contrast between dental and alveolar stops
Margi   Chadic Nigeria C.I. contains labiodental flap
Mongolian   Altaic Inner and Outer Mongolia, China Vowel harmony
Nahuatl Aztec Uto-Aztecan Mexico P.I. contains lateral affricate
Nama Hottentot, Khoikhoi Khoisan Namibia, S. Africa P.I. contains clicks
Navaho Navajo Athabascan USA:Arizona,N.Mexico,Utah P.I. contains lateral fric. and lateral affric.
Ndau   Benue-Congo Mozambique, Zimbabwe P.I. contains ejective stops
Ndebele   Benue-Congo Botswana, Lesotho, S. Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe Contrastive use of breathy voice
Nez Perce   Penutian USA:Idaho P.I. contains ejectives and lateral fricative
Nootka   Wakashan Canada(W. Brit. Columbia) P.I. contains lateral fric.
Paez   Paezan Colombia P.I. has pre-nasalised stops
Pashto   I-E Afghanistan, Pakistan P.I. has retroflex consonants
Pomo   Hokan USA: California Velar and uvular fricatives in contrast
Provençale Occitan I-E S.E.France Has nasal double articulations
Rotokas   Papuan Papua New Guinea Smallest reported P.I.
Sindhi   I-E Pakistan: Sindh, India P.I. contains voiced aspirated stops, voiced implosives, and voiced retroflex flap
Shona   Niger-Congo Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe P.I. contains whistle fricatives. Breathy voice used contrastively for consonants.
Squamish   Salishan Canada: SW British Columbia P.I. contains lateral affricate and ejective consonants
Tamang   S-T Nepal Contrastive use of breathy voice for vowels
Telugu   Dravidian India: Andhra Pradesh & countries of emigration Vowel harmony
Tiv   Niger-Congo Nigeria, Cameroon P.I. contains pre-nasalised stops
Tlingit   Na-Dene USA: Alaska P.I. has ejective fricatives. Velar and uvular fricatives in contrast
Twi Akan Niger-Congo S.E.Ghana P.I. contains [+atr] and [-atr] vowels
Tojolabal   Mayan Mexico P.I. contains voiceless implosives
Tzeltal   Mayan Mexico P.I. contains ejective affricate
Tzutujil   Mayan Guatemala P.I. contains ejectives & implosives
Ubykh   N. Caucasian Turkey C.I. contains many fricatives. Only 2 vowel qualities
Uduk   Nilo-Saharan Sudan P.I. contains voiced implosives
V'enen Taut   Austronesian Vanuatu P.I. contains linguo-labial stops and fricative
Warlpiri   Pama-Nyungan Australia: N.T P.I. contains retroflex flap
Wintu   Penutian USA: California C.I. contains ejectives, including ejective affricates
Wolof   Niger-Congo Gambia, Mauritania, Senegal P.I. contains nasally released stops
Yoruba   Kwa Nigeria Nasalisation contrastive for vowels. Lexical tone.
Zoque   Penutiian Mexico  
Zuni   Isolate USA: New Mexico P.I. contains lateral fricative

Last updated: 31.x.02