921:
198:. Although "semivowel" and "approximant" are sometimes treated as synonymous, most authors use the term "semivowel" for a more restricted set; there is no universally agreed-upon definition, and the exact details may vary from author to author. For example,
540:, Martínez Celdrán suggests setting up a third category of "spirant approximant", contrasting both with semivowel approximants and with fricatives. Though the spirant approximant is more constricted (having a lower
552:'help'), the distributional overlap is limited. The spirant approximant can only appear in the syllable onset (including word-initially, where the semivowel never appears). The two overlap in distribution after
445:, semivowels are produced with a narrower constriction in the vocal tract than their corresponding vowels. Nevertheless, semivowels may be phonemically equivalent with vowels. For example, the English word
1131:
Ohala, John; Lorentz, James, "The story of : An exercise in the phonetic explanation for sound patterns", in
Whistler, Kenneth; Chiarelloet, Chris; van Vahn, Robert Jr. (eds.),
476:, a perceptually similar approximant-vowel sequence. The diphthong is analyzed as a single segment, and the approximant-vowel sequence is analyzed as two separate segments.
592:('and he has seen'). Again, it is not present in all dialects. Other dialects differ in either merging the two or enhancing the contrast by moving the former to another
56:
433:
Semivowels, by definition, contrast with vowels by being non-syllabic. In addition, they are usually shorter than vowels. In languages such as
1162:
877:
977:
516:, the production and perception of phonetic contrasts between the two is much weaker, likely because of lower lexical load for
1057:
960:
937:
320:
568:('flood') and although there is dialectal and idiolectal variation, speakers may also exhibit other near-minimal pairs like
417:. An unrounded central semivowel, (or ), equivalent to , is uncommon, though rounded (or ), equivalent to , is found in
998:
364:
17:
1155:
987:
524:, and speakers' difficulty in maintaining contrasts between two back rounded semivowels in comparison to front ones.
1829:
1819:
1412:
1186:
210:
179:
132:
38:
1385:
634:
1380:
1392:
1375:
1367:
1148:
400:
557:
553:
517:
513:
509:
501:
497:
491:
487:
480:
473:
469:
52:
48:
1407:
1402:
464:
It is unusual for a language to contrast a semivowel and a diphthong containing an equivalent vowel, but
392:
308:
256:
238:
220:
1672:
1397:
848:
Bowen, J. Donald; Stockwell, Robert P. (1955), "The
Phonemic Interpretation of Semivowels in Spanish",
479:
In addition to phonological justifications for the distinction (such as the diphthong alternating with
352:
298:
1319:
1264:
410:
398:
390:
372:
362:
350:
340:
330:
328:
318:
306:
296:
920:
897:
1430:
1249:
1182:
619:
374:
342:
1633:
1628:
1539:
203:
278:
Additionally, there are dedicated symbols for four semivowels that correspond to the four close
1650:
1460:
1259:
1234:
1178:
892:
34:
1239:
1216:
1194:
593:
195:
1677:
1640:
1352:
614:
952:
The phonemes of
English: a phonemic study of the vowels and consonants of standard English
8:
1748:
1618:
1595:
1344:
1297:
1269:
597:
186:
may alternatively refer to any type of transitional sound, not necessarily a semivowel.
1613:
1446:
1254:
1211:
1111:
1083:
1021:
910:
865:
629:
536:(such as ) in that fricatives produce turbulence, but semivowels do not. In discussing
422:
1735:
1692:
1569:
1534:
1357:
1324:
1292:
1226:
1053:
1025:
983:
956:
933:
465:
914:
504:
with the former having a higher F2 onset (greater constriction of the articulators).
235:. When there is no room for the tack under a symbol, it may be written above, using
1760:
1753:
1608:
1564:
1559:
1422:
1334:
1311:
1287:
1244:
1203:
1103:
1075:
1013:
946:
902:
857:
537:
434:
418:
386:
162:
115:
93:
1824:
1725:
1623:
1603:
1544:
1512:
1329:
1047:
969:
950:
624:
521:
458:
438:
412:
406:
272:
878:"A perception-production study of Romanian diphthongs and glide-vowel sequences"
1697:
279:
214:
1029:
1017:
906:
1813:
1783:
1743:
1720:
1687:
1660:
973:
450:
442:
483:
in singular-plural pairs), there are phonetic differences between the pair:
27:
Transitional phoneme produced like a vowel but used like a syllable boundary
1793:
1712:
1702:
1682:
532:
According to the standard definitions, semivowels (such as ) contrast with
1798:
1788:
1778:
1665:
1522:
1133:
Proceedings of the 3rd Annual
Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society
1581:
1115:
1087:
869:
1770:
1576:
1487:
1482:
1469:
609:
533:
454:
69:
65:
96:
of a syllable. Examples of semivowels in
English are the consonants
1504:
1492:
1107:
1079:
861:
719:
717:
715:
89:
44:
1477:
584:('opened'). One potential minimal pair (depending on dialect) is
541:
496:
The transition between the two elements is longer and faster for
712:
646:
527:
1140:
1094:
Trager, George (1942), "The
Phonemic Treatment of Semivowels",
789:
690:
688:
165:
1517:
825:
777:
213:, the diacritic attached to non-syllabic vowel letters is an
170:
85:
729:
685:
753:
675:
673:
1135:, Berkeley: Berkeley Linguistic Society, pp. 577–599
118:
765:
670:
813:
1066:
Saporta, Sol (1956), "A Note on
Spanish Semivowels",
801:
658:
123:
43:. For an introductory guide on IPA symbols, see
700:
968:
741:
723:
652:
544:amplitude), longer, and unspecified for rounding (
253:. Before 1989, non-syllabicity was represented by
199:
1006:Journal of the International Phonetic Association
885:Journal of the International Phonetic Association
1811:
1052:(third ed.), Tübingen: Gunter Narr Verlag,
999:"Problems in the Classification of Approximants"
996:
795:
783:
735:
694:
508:Although a phonological parallel exists between
217:placed below the symbol representing the vowel:
57:IPA § Brackets and transcription delimiters
1049:Synchronic English Linguistics: An Introduction
847:
831:
1156:
528:Contrast with fricatives/spirant approximants
520:, which is limited largely to loanwords from
84:is a sound that is phonetically similar to a
1280:
1163:
1149:
930:A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics
896:
1130:
875:
771:
759:
1065:
927:
819:
679:
664:
428:
385:In addition, some authors consider the
14:
1812:
1093:
807:
1144:
1045:
945:
747:
706:
47:. For the distinction between ,
979:The Sounds of the World's Languages
24:
1123:
997:Martínez Celdrán, Eugenio (2004),
405:to be semivowels corresponding to
25:
1841:
189:
1170:
919:
724:Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996)
653:Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996)
200:Ladefoged & Maddieson (1996)
161:
114:
1187:International Phonetic Alphabet
449:can be considered either as an
211:International Phonetic Alphabet
39:International Phonetic Alphabet
635:Voiced labio-velar approximant
313:(close front unrounded vowel)
233:COMBINING INVERTED BREVE BELOW
194:Semivowels form a subclass of
13:
1:
640:
357:(close back unrounded vowel)
92:boundary, rather than as the
955:(third ed.), Springer,
832:Bowen & Stockwell (1955)
490:has a greater duration than
335:(close front rounded vowel)
325:(labio-palatal approximant)
7:
932:(6th ed.), Blackwell,
603:
379:(close back rounded vowel)
88:sound but functions as the
10:
1846:
1046:Meyer, Paul Georg (2005),
840:
1769:
1734:
1711:
1649:
1594:
1555:
1503:
1468:
1459:
1439:
1421:
1366:
1343:
1310:
1225:
1202:
1193:
1176:
1018:10.1017/S0025100304001732
907:10.1017/S0025100302001044
369:(labiovelar approximant)
288:Semivowel (non-syllabic)
876:Chitoran, Ioana (2002),
620:List of phonetics topics
468:contrasts the diphthong
461:ending in a consonant .
251:COMBINING INVERTED BREVE
112:, respectively. Written
928:Crystal, David (2008),
796:Martínez Celdrán (2004)
784:Martínez Celdrán (2004)
736:Martínez Celdrán (2004)
695:Martínez Celdrán (2004)
271:, which now stands for
204:labiodental approximant
143:are near to the vowels
35:phonetic transcriptions
1830:Approximant consonants
1820:Manner of articulation
1179:Articulatory phonetics
303:(palatal approximant)
32:This article contains
1353:Pharyngeal/epiglottal
982:. Oxford: Blackwell.
594:place of articulation
588:('already seen') vs.
1678:Labio-palatalization
615:Hiatus (linguistics)
429:Contrast with vowels
347:(velar approximant)
202:do not consider the
1368:Double articulation
949:, Antonie (1971),
762:, pp. 212–214.
598:Rioplatense Spanish
206:to be a semivowel.
18:Glide (linguistics)
630:Syllabic consonant
1807:
1806:
1693:Pharyngealization
1590:
1589:
1455:
1454:
1413:Uvular–epiglottal
1306:
1305:
1059:978-3-8233-6191-6
962:978-90-247-0639-6
939:978-1-4051-5297-6
682:, pp. 431–2.
383:
382:
291:Vowel (syllabic)
16:(Redirected from
1837:
1761:Voice onset time
1466:
1465:
1386:Labial–retroflex
1278:
1277:
1200:
1199:
1165:
1158:
1151:
1142:
1141:
1136:
1118:
1090:
1062:
1042:
1041:
1040:
1034:
1028:, archived from
1003:
993:
970:Ladefoged, Peter
965:
942:
924:
923:
917:
900:
882:
872:
835:
829:
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811:
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769:
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739:
733:
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721:
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692:
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650:
559:
555:
519:
515:
511:
503:
499:
493:
489:
482:
475:
471:
416:
407:R-colored vowels
404:
396:
378:
368:
356:
346:
334:
324:
312:
302:
285:
284:
270:
267:
266:
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54:
50:
21:
1845:
1844:
1840:
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1838:
1836:
1835:
1834:
1810:
1809:
1808:
1803:
1765:
1730:
1707:
1652:
1645:
1586:
1551:
1499:
1451:
1435:
1417:
1381:Labial–alveolar
1362:
1339:
1320:Alveolo-palatal
1302:
1276:
1265:Palato-alveolar
1221:
1189:
1183:Co-articulation
1172:
1169:
1139:
1126:
1124:Further reading
1121:
1060:
1038:
1036:
1032:
1001:
990:
963:
940:
918:
898:10.1.1.116.1413
880:
843:
838:
830:
826:
818:
814:
806:
802:
794:
790:
782:
778:
772:Chitoran (2002)
770:
766:
760:Chitoran (2002)
758:
754:
746:
742:
734:
730:
722:
713:
705:
701:
693:
686:
678:
671:
663:
659:
651:
647:
643:
625:Mater lectionis
606:
576:('abject') vs.
564:('to plaster')
530:
459:closed syllable
431:
273:extra-shortness
269:COMBINING BREVE
268:
264:
263:
255:
254:
250:
246:
245:
237:
236:
232:
228:
227:
219:
218:
192:
169:
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160:
122:
117:
113:
62:
61:
60:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1843:
1833:
1832:
1827:
1822:
1805:
1804:
1802:
1801:
1796:
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1786:
1781:
1775:
1773:
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1766:
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1763:
1758:
1757:
1756:
1751:
1740:
1738:
1732:
1731:
1729:
1728:
1723:
1717:
1715:
1709:
1708:
1706:
1705:
1700:
1698:Glottalization
1695:
1690:
1685:
1680:
1675:
1673:Palatalization
1670:
1669:
1668:
1657:
1655:
1647:
1646:
1644:
1643:
1638:
1637:
1636:
1631:
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1611:
1606:
1600:
1598:
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1584:
1579:
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1550:
1549:
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1532:
1531:
1530:
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1500:
1498:
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1496:
1495:
1485:
1480:
1474:
1472:
1463:
1457:
1456:
1453:
1452:
1450:
1449:
1443:
1441:
1437:
1436:
1434:
1433:
1431:Velopharyngeal
1427:
1425:
1419:
1418:
1416:
1415:
1410:
1405:
1400:
1395:
1393:Labial–palatal
1390:
1389:
1388:
1383:
1376:Labial–coronal
1372:
1370:
1364:
1363:
1361:
1360:
1355:
1349:
1347:
1341:
1340:
1338:
1337:
1332:
1327:
1322:
1316:
1314:
1308:
1307:
1304:
1303:
1301:
1300:
1295:
1290:
1284:
1282:
1275:
1274:
1273:
1272:
1267:
1257:
1252:
1250:Denti-alveolar
1247:
1242:
1237:
1231:
1229:
1223:
1222:
1220:
1219:
1214:
1208:
1206:
1197:
1191:
1190:
1177:
1174:
1173:
1168:
1167:
1160:
1153:
1145:
1138:
1137:
1127:
1125:
1122:
1120:
1119:
1108:10.2307/409556
1102:(3): 220–223,
1091:
1080:10.2307/411006
1074:(2): 287–290,
1063:
1058:
1043:
1012:(2): 201–210,
994:
988:
974:Maddieson, Ian
966:
961:
943:
938:
925:
891:(2): 203–222,
873:
862:10.2307/411039
856:(2): 236–240,
844:
842:
839:
837:
836:
834:, p. 236.
824:
822:, p. 288.
820:Saporta (1956)
812:
810:, p. 222.
800:
798:, p. 208.
788:
776:
774:, p. 221.
764:
752:
740:
728:
726:, p. 323.
711:
709:, p. 101.
699:
684:
680:Crystal (2008)
669:
667:, p. 211.
665:Crystal (2008)
657:
655:, p. 322.
644:
642:
639:
638:
637:
632:
627:
622:
617:
612:
605:
602:
529:
526:
506:
505:
494:
430:
427:
381:
380:
370:
359:
358:
348:
337:
336:
326:
315:
314:
304:
293:
292:
289:
280:cardinal vowel
215:inverted breve
191:
190:Classification
188:
55:⟩, see
31:
30:
29:
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1842:
1831:
1828:
1826:
1823:
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1774:
1772:
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1750:
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1741:
1739:
1737:
1733:
1727:
1724:
1722:
1719:
1718:
1716:
1714:
1710:
1704:
1701:
1699:
1696:
1694:
1691:
1689:
1688:Uvularization
1686:
1684:
1681:
1679:
1676:
1674:
1671:
1667:
1664:
1663:
1662:
1661:Labialization
1659:
1658:
1656:
1654:
1648:
1642:
1639:
1635:
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1630:
1627:
1626:
1625:
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1511:
1510:
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1506:
1502:
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1491:
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1489:
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1475:
1473:
1471:
1467:
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1462:
1458:
1448:
1445:
1444:
1442:
1438:
1432:
1429:
1428:
1426:
1424:
1420:
1414:
1411:
1409:
1408:Coronal–velar
1406:
1404:
1403:Labial–uvular
1401:
1399:
1396:
1394:
1391:
1387:
1384:
1382:
1379:
1378:
1377:
1374:
1373:
1371:
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1309:
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1228:
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1213:
1210:
1209:
1207:
1205:
1201:
1198:
1196:
1192:
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1180:
1175:
1166:
1161:
1159:
1154:
1152:
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1146:
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1128:
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1113:
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1105:
1101:
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1092:
1089:
1085:
1081:
1077:
1073:
1069:
1064:
1061:
1055:
1051:
1050:
1044:
1035:on 2010-07-11
1031:
1027:
1023:
1019:
1015:
1011:
1007:
1000:
995:
991:
989:0-631-19815-6
985:
981:
980:
975:
971:
967:
964:
958:
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953:
948:
944:
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935:
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908:
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899:
894:
890:
886:
879:
874:
871:
867:
863:
859:
855:
851:
846:
845:
833:
828:
821:
816:
809:
808:Trager (1942)
804:
797:
792:
785:
780:
773:
768:
761:
756:
750:, p. 51.
749:
744:
737:
732:
725:
720:
718:
716:
708:
703:
696:
691:
689:
681:
676:
674:
666:
661:
654:
649:
645:
636:
633:
631:
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626:
623:
621:
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587:
583:
581:
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563:
551:
547:
543:
539:
535:
525:
523:
495:
486:
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452:
451:open syllable
448:
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389:approximants
388:
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82:semiconsonant
79:
75:
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67:
58:
46:
42:
40:
36:
19:
1713:Tongue shape
1703:Nasalization
1683:Velarization
1653:articulation
1527:
1423:Pathological
1398:Labial–velar
1281:Active place
1260:Postalveolar
1235:Linguolabial
1171:Articulation
1132:
1099:
1095:
1071:
1067:
1048:
1037:, retrieved
1030:the original
1009:
1005:
978:
951:
929:
888:
884:
853:
849:
827:
815:
803:
791:
786:, p. 6.
779:
767:
755:
748:Cohen (1971)
743:
738:, p. 8.
731:
707:Meyer (2005)
702:
697:, p. 9.
660:
648:
596:(), like in
589:
585:
579:
577:
571:
569:
565:
561:
549:
548:'widow' vs.
545:
531:
507:
478:
463:
453:ending in a
446:
432:
384:
277:
208:
196:approximants
193:
183:
156:
152:
148:
144:
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136:
109:
105:
101:
97:
81:
77:
73:
63:
51:and ⟨
33:
1523:Approximant
1240:Interdental
1217:Labiodental
182:. The term
1814:Categories
1651:Secondary
1641:Percussive
1609:Ingressive
1582:Continuant
1039:2015-02-14
641:References
590:y ha visto
534:fricatives
1771:Phonation
1749:Aspirated
1744:Voiceless
1619:Implosive
1604:Egressive
1596:Airstream
1577:Occlusive
1528:Semivowel
1488:Fricative
1483:Affricate
1470:Obstruent
1345:Laryngeal
1298:Subapical
1270:Retroflex
1026:144568679
893:CiteSeerX
610:Diphthong
455:diphthong
423:Norwegian
74:semivowel
70:phonology
66:phonetics
1666:Rounding
1634:Ejective
1629:Pulmonic
1614:Ejective
1540:Tap/flap
1505:Sonorant
1493:Sibilant
1447:Bidental
1255:Alveolar
1212:Bilabial
1096:Language
1068:Language
976:(1996).
915:10104718
850:Language
604:See also
586:ya visto
466:Romanian
457:or as a
409:such as
282:sounds:
265:◌̆
247:◌̑
229:◌̯
159:written
90:syllable
49:/ /
45:Help:IPA
1784:Breathy
1570:Lateral
1535:Vibrant
1478:Plosive
1358:Glottal
1325:Palatal
1293:Laminal
1227:Coronal
841:Sources
562:enyesar
538:Spanish
435:Amharic
419:Swedish
209:In the
94:nucleus
37:in the
1825:Vowels
1794:Creaky
1754:Tenuis
1721:Sulcal
1565:Rhotic
1560:Liquid
1461:Manner
1335:Uvular
1312:Dorsal
1288:Apical
1245:Dental
1204:Labial
1116:409556
1114:
1088:411006
1086:
1056:
1024:
986:
959:
936:
913:
895:
870:411039
868:
566:aniego
522:French
441:, and
439:Yoruba
387:rhotic
261:
243:
225:
53:
1799:Stiff
1789:Slack
1779:Modal
1736:Voice
1726:Domed
1624:Click
1545:Trill
1518:Vowel
1513:Nasal
1440:Other
1330:Velar
1195:Place
1112:JSTOR
1084:JSTOR
1033:(PDF)
1022:S2CID
1002:(PDF)
947:Cohen
911:S2CID
881:(PDF)
866:JSTOR
550:ayuda
546:viuda
510:/o̯a/
502:/e̯a/
500:than
492:/e̯a/
472:with
470:/e̯a/
415:]
411:[
403:]
399:[
395:]
391:[
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373:[
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363:[
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351:[
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341:[
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329:[
323:]
319:[
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307:[
301:]
297:[
184:glide
157:moon,
86:vowel
78:glide
41:(IPA)
1054:ISBN
984:ISBN
957:ISBN
934:ISBN
556:and
518:/wa/
514:/wa/
512:and
498:/ja/
488:/ja/
474:/ja/
443:Zuni
421:and
259:0306
241:0311
223:032F
155:and
153:seen
147:and
139:and
110:west
108:and
100:and
72:, a
68:and
1104:doi
1076:doi
1014:doi
903:doi
858:doi
582:rto
574:cto
558:/n/
554:/l/
481:/e/
447:fly
180:IPA
178:in
151:in
133:IPA
131:in
106:yes
104:in
80:or
64:In
1816::
1185:–
1181:–
1110:,
1100:18
1098:,
1082:,
1072:32
1070:,
1020:,
1010:34
1008:,
1004:,
972:;
909:,
901:,
889:32
887:,
883:,
864:,
854:31
852:,
714:^
687:^
672:^
600:.
580:ie
578:ab
572:ye
570:ab
560::
542:F2
437:,
425:.
397:,
275:.
257:U+
239:U+
221:U+
171:uː
166:iː
149:oo
145:ee
135:,
76:,
1164:e
1157:t
1150:v
1106::
1078::
1016::
992:.
905::
860::
413:ɚ
401:ɻ
393:ɹ
375:u
365:w
353:ɯ
343:ɰ
331:y
321:ɥ
309:i
299:j
174:/
163:/
141:w
137:y
127:/
124:w
119:j
116:/
102:w
98:y
59:.
20:)
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