Pharyngeal consonant

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A pharyngeal consonant is a consonant that is articulated primarily in the pharynx. Some phoneticians distinguish upper-pharyngeal consonants (as they are in the extIPA) – also called "high" pharyngeals or radico-pharyngeals – pronounced by retracting the tongue root (the radix) in the mid to upper pharynx to make contact with the pharyngeal wall, and epiglottal consonants – also called "low" pharyngeals – which are pronounced either with the epiglottis making contact with the pharyngeal wall (epiglotto-pharyngeals), or with the aryepiglottic folds against the epiglottis at the entrance of the larynx (aryepiglottals). Other phoneticians combine (upper-)pharyngeals and epiglottals – i.e. "high" and "low" pharyngeals – under a single place of articulation. Stops and trills can be reliably produced only at the epiglottis, and fricatives can be reliably produced only in the upper pharynx. When they are treated as distinct places of articulation, the term radical consonant may be used as a cover...

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