Select languages to compare:

Use base consonants only
Labial
Coronal
Dorsal
Radical
Laryngeal
Bilabial
Labio-dental
Dental
Alveolar
Palato-alveolar
Retroflex
Palatal
Velar
Uvular
Pharyngeal
Epi-glottal
Glottal
Plosive
 p b         *t *d             k ɡ    
 
 
 
 
 ʔ
 
Nasal
   m           *n                    
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trill
                            
 
 
    
 
 
    
 
 
Tap, Flap
                                                
Lateral flap
 
 
 
 
                    
 
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
R-sounds
               *R                    
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fricative
                                                
Sibilant fricatives
             *s                      
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lateral fricative
 
 
 
 
                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
Approximant
                               w                
Lateral approximant
 
 
 
 
                            
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Front
Near-front
Central
Near-back
Back
 
Close
Near-close
Close-mid
Mid
Open-mid
Near-open
Open
 
Front
Near-front
Central
Near-back
Back
 
Close
Near-close
Close-mid
Mid
Open-mid
Near-open
Open
Selected languages: Southern kiwai
UPSID number: 8636
Alternate name(s): N/A
Classification: Papuan, Trans-New Guinea
The languages has 19 segments
Frequency index: N/A
Sounds: [p] [b] [*t] [*d] [k] [ɡ] [ʔ] [*s] [*R] [w] [m] [*n] [i] [u] [e̞] [o̞] [ä] [o̞u] [äu]
Comments: Island Kiwai dialect. Island Kiwai is spoken on Kiwai Island and some nearby areas in the Fly River delta, Western Province, Papua New Guinea. Wurm (1977) reports that vowel length is absent but that VV and V + diphthong clusters occur. A vowel harmony system is present which "affects the vowels of affixes, especially prefixes" but no details are given. There is a complex stress system and two tones but the functional load of the tonal contrast is low. All syllables are open and no consonant clusters occur.
Sources: Wurm, S.A. 1977. Missionary lingue franche: Kiwai. In S.A. Wurm (ed.), Language, Culture, Society, and the Modern World, fascicle 2. New Guinea Area Languages and Language Study, vol. 3. Pacific Linguistics, Series C, No. 40. Australian National University, Canberra.