Affricate

IPA Unicode 0x1DF24

IPA Unicode 0x1DF1F

IPA Unicode 0x1DF22

IPA Unicode 0x1DF20

IPA Unicode 0x1DF23

IPA Unicode 0x1DF21

An affricate is a consonant that begins as a stop and releases as a fricative, generally with the same place of articulation (most often coronal). Affricates are often represented by two symbols joined by a tie bar, such as [t͡ʃ] for the voiceless postalveolar affricate in English "ch" as in "chicken".

Characteristics

Affricates are distinguished from simple stops and fricatives by their manner of articulation. The stop component involves a complete closure of the vocal tract, which is then released into a fricative, where the closure is only partial, allowing air to pass through and create turbulence. This combination of a stop and a fricative in rapid succession is what characterizes an affricate.

Examples in Languages

Affricates are found in many of the world's languages. Some common examples include:

• English: [t͡ʃ] as in "chicken" and [d͡ʒ] as in "judge".
• German: [t͡s] as in "Zeit" (time).
• Mandarin Chinese: [t͡ɕ] as in "鸡" (chicken).

Phonetic Representation

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), affricates are typically represented by two symbols joined by a tie bar. For example:

• [t͡ʃ] - voiceless postalveolar affricate
• [d͡ʒ] - voiced postalveolar affricate
• [t͡s] - voiceless alveolar affricate

Classification

Affricates can be classified based on their place of articulation and voicing:

• Voiceless affricates: [t͡ʃ], [t͡s]
• Voiced affricates: [d͡ʒ], [d͡z]

Related Concepts

• Stop consonant
• Fricative consonant
• Manner of articulation
• Place of articulation
• Phonetics
• Phonology

See Also

• Consonant
• International Phonetic Alphabet
• Phoneme
• Allophone
• Sibilant