IPA – number 320
IPA – text ʏ
IPA – image
Entity ʏ
X-SAMPA Y
Kirshenbaum I.
Sound sample (help·info)

The near-close near-front rounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ʏ, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is Y.

In most languages this rounded vowel is pronounced with compressed lips ('exolabial'). However, in a few cases the lips are protruded ('endolabial'). This is the case with Swedish, which contrasts the two types of rounding.

Near-close near-front compressed vowel

Features

• Its vowel height is near-close, which means the tongue is positioned similarly to a close vowel, but slightly less constricted.
• Its vowel backness is near-front, which means the tongue is positioned as in a front vowel, but slightly further back in the mouth.
• Its roundedness is compressed, which means that the margins of the lips approach one another, so that the inner surfaces are not exposed.

Occurrence

Note: Since front rounded vowels are assumed to have compression, and few descriptions cover the distinction, some of the following may actually have protrusion.

Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Dutch hut [hʏ̞t] 'hut' Lowered. See Dutch phonology
English Some Southern English varieties[1] book [bʏk] 'book' Corresponds to /ʊ/ in other English dialects. See English phonology
Faroese krúss [kɹʏsː] 'mug'
French Quebec municipalité [mʏnɪsɪpalɪte] 'municipality' See Quebec French phonology
German schützen [ˈʃʏtsˑn] 'protect' See German phonology
Icelandic vinur [vɪnʏr] 'friend'
Limburgish Maastrichtian un [ʏn] 'union'
Swedish ut [ʏβ̞t] (help·info) 'out' May be central in other dialects. See Swedish phonology

Near-close near-front protruded vowel

Catford notes that most languages with rounded front and back vowels use distinct types of labialization, protruded back vowels and compressed front vowels. However, a few languages, such as Scandinavian ones, have protruded front vowels. One of these, Swedish, even contrasts the two types of rounding in front vowels.[2]

As there are no diacritics in the IPA to distinguish protruded and compressed rounding, old diacritic for labialization, [  ̫], will be used here as an ad hoc symbol for protruded front vowels. (Another possible transcription is [ʏʷ] or [ɪʷ] (a near-front near-close vowel modified by endolabialization), but this could be misread as a diphthong.)

Features

• Its vowel height is near-close, which means the tongue is positioned similarly to a close vowel, but slightly less constricted.
• Its vowel backness is near-front, which means the tongue is positioned as in a front vowel, but slightly further back in the mouth.
• Its roundedness is protruded, which means that the corners of the lips and drawn together, and the inner surfaces exposed.

Occurrence

Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Norwegian nytt [nʏ̫t] 'new' See Norwegian phonology
Swedish ylle [ˈʏ̫lːɛ] (help·info) 'wool' See Swedish phonology

References

Bibliography

• Jones, Daniel; Dennis, Ward (1969), The Phonetics of Russian, Cambridge University Press