Voicelessness

In linguistics, voicelessness is the property of sounds being pronounced without the larynx vibrating. Phonologically, this is a type of phonation, which contrasts with other states of the larynx, but some object that the word "phonation" implies voicing, and that voicelessness is the lack of phonation.

The International Phonetic Alphabet has distinct letters for many voiceless and modally voiced pairs of consonants (the obstruents), such as [p b], [t d], [k ɡ], [q ɢ], [f v], and [s z]. In addition, there are diacritics for voicelessness, U+0325  ̥ COMBINING RING BELOW and U+030A  ̊ COMBINING RING ABOVE, which is used for letters with a descender. Diacritics are typically used with letters for prototypically voiced sounds, such as vowels and sonorant consonants: [ḁ], [l̥], [ŋ̊].

Voiceless vowels and other sonorants

Sonorants are those sounds, such as vowels and nasals, that are voiced in most of the world's languages. However, in some languages sonorants may be voiceless, usually allophonically. For example, the Japanese word sukiyaki is pronounced [su̥kijaki]. This may sound like [skijaki] to an English speaker, but the lips can be seen compressing for the [u̥]. Something similar happens in English with words like peculiar [pʰə̥ˈkʰjuːliɚ] and potato [pʰə̥ˈtʰeɪtoʊ]. Voiceless vowels are also an areal feature in languages of the American Southwest (e.g. Hopi and Keres), Great Basin (including all Numic languages), and the Great Plains, where they are present in Numic Comanche but also in Algonquian Cheyenne and Caddoan Arikara.

Voiceless (disambiguation)

Voiceless may refer to:

See also

Voiceless (animal rights group)

Voiceless is an independent, non-profit animal protection charity based in Sydney, Australia, whose work is focused on raising awareness of animals suffering in factory farming and the kangaroo industry in Australia. According to their mission statement, Voiceless's vision is for a world in which animals are treated with respect and compassion.

Voiceless was founded by father-daughter team Brian Sherman AM and Ondine Sherman in 2004 with the goal of making animal protection the next great social justice movement.

Voiceless keeps a mainstream focus by taking a measured and factual approach to animal protection, choosing to focus on building the movement by offering grants and prizes, creating influential networks, promoting informed debate, and conducting research exposing legalised cruelty.

Patrons: Brian Sherman AM, J. M. Coetzee, Dame Jane Goodall DBE, The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG

Ambassadors: Hugo Weaving, Abbie Cornish, Emily Barclay

Council Members: Bob Carr, Dr Charlie Teo, Dr Ken Henry, Dr Simon Longstaff, Richard Flanagan, Holly Throsby, Akira Isogawa