consonant

The Power of the Double Letter

Why does Italian have 'pala' (shovel) but also 'palla' (ball)? This phenomenon, known as gemination or consonant doubling, isn't just…

6 days ago

The Sound of Size: Consonant Gradation in Finnish

Ever notice how Finnish words seem to change their consonants for no reason? This isn't random linguistic magic; it's a…

1 month ago

The Georgian Consonant Clusters

Georgian is famous for jaw-dropping consonant clusters like `gvprtskvni` ("you peel us"), which seem to defy the rules of pronunciation.…

1 month ago

The Echo Vowel: Parasitic Vowels in Irish and Japanese

Have you ever heard a vowel that wasn't spelled, like the "a" in the Irish word *uisce* (ish-ka)? This phenomenon,…

1 month ago

The Inward Breath: The World of Implosive Sounds

While most consonants are made by pushing air out, a fascinating category of sounds called implosives does the exact opposite.…

4 months ago

This website uses cookies.