The voiced bilabial nasal is a type of
consonantal sound which has been observed to occur in about 96% of spoken
languages.[1] The symbol in the
International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨m⟩, and the equivalent
X-SAMPA symbol is m. The bilabial nasal occurs in
English, and it is the sound represented by "m" in map and rum. Very few languages (e.g.
Wyandot) are known to lack this sound. A small number of languages have been observed to lack independent nasal phonemes altogether, such as
Quileute,
Makah, and
Central Rotokas.[2]
Features
Features of the voiced bilabial nasal:
Its
manner of articulation is
occlusive, which means it is produced by obstructing airflow in the vocal tract. Because the consonant is also
nasal, the blocked airflow is redirected through the nose.
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