Voiceless alveolar affricate

A voiceless alveolar affricate is a type of <a href="/facts/Affricate_consonant/Fn2y7FIA">affricate consonant</a> pronounced with the <a href="/facts/Tongue_tip/oW4tp3a0">tip</a> or <a href="/facts/Tongue_blade/oW4tp3a0">blade</a> of the tongue against the <a href="/facts/Alveolar_ridge/qxn0CvTN">alveolar ridge</a> (gum line) just behind the teeth. This refers to a class of sounds, not a single sound. There are several types with significant perceptual differences:

<ul><li>The voiceless alveolar sibilant affricate [t͡s] is the most common type, similar to the ts in <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English</a> cats.</li>
<li>The voiceless alveolar non-sibilant affricate [t͡θ̠] or [t͡θ͇], using the alveolar diacritic from the <a href="/facts/Extended_IPA/LDcj1gPx">Extended IPA</a>, is somewhat similar to the th in some pronunciations of <a href="/facts/English_language/tpkxGt7b">English</a> eighth. It is found as a regional realization of the sequence /tr/ in some <a href="/facts/Sicily/E6fug03z">Sicilian</a> dialects of <a href="/facts/Standard_Italian/YXsmvlQG">Standard Italian</a>.</li>
<li>The <a href="/facts/Voiceless_alveolar_lateral_affricate/js2wGUT3">voiceless alveolar lateral affricate</a> [t͡ɬ] is found in certain languages, such as <a href="/facts/Cherokee_language/10EL54YL">Cherokee</a>, <a href="/facts/Mexican_Spanish/KNxH5Az8">Mexican Spanish</a>, and <a href="/facts/Nahuatl_language/MTVHtb8U">Nahuatl</a>.</li>
<li>The voiceless alveolar retracted sibilant affricate [t͡s̺], also called apico-alveolar or grave, has a weak hushing sound reminiscent of <a href="/facts/Retroflex_consonant/lsBdJD4V">retroflex</a> affricates. One language in which it is found is <a href="/facts/Basque_language/rEMpH97p">Basque</a>, where it contrasts with a more conventional non-retracted laminal alveolar affricate.</li></ul>
This article discusses the first two.

Voiceless alveolar affricate open-in-new

Voiceless alveolar affricate