The mid back rounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. While there is no dedicated symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents the exact mid back rounded vowel between close-mid and open-mid , it is normally written . If precision is desired, diacritics may be used, such as or , the former being more common.

Multiple para-IPA alternative symbols also exist for this vowel. The Swedish Dialect Alphabet uses the symbol (an o with low ring), while Sinological notation uses the symbol (an o with cedilla). The symbol (a small capital omega) was proposed for Americanist notation, but was never implemented.

Just because a language has only one non-close non-open back vowel, it still may not be a true-mid vowel. Tukang Besi is a language in Sulawesi, Indonesia, with a close-mid . Taba, another language in Indonesia, in the Maluku Islands, has an open-mid . In both languages, there is no contrast with another mid (true-mid or close-mid) vowel.

Kensiu, in Malaysia and Thailand, is highly unusual in that it contrasts true-mid vowels with close-mid and open-mid vowels without any difference in other parameters, such as backness or roundedness.

Some of the vowels listed in the table below may phonetically be more front than typical back vowels, as near-back vowels. If precision is required, this may instead be called a mid near-back rounded vowel.

Features

Occurrence Language Word IPA Meaning Notes Afrikaans Standard 'goat' Typically transcribed in IPA with . The height varies between mid and close-mid . See Afrikaans phonology Arabic Hejazi 'color' See Hejazi Arabic phonologyBengaliˈyour' May be closer to close-mid . See Bengali phonology Breton Possible realization of unstressed ; can be open-mid or close-mid instead. Catalan Modern Algherese 'clog' Open-mid and close-mid vowels merge into mid vowels. See Catalan phonology Northern Some speakers Open-mid and close-mid vowels merge into mid vowels. Found in some places bordering the Aragonese and Spanish-speaking areas. A five to six vowel system (i.e. without and/or ), can be found in some areas. Chinese Mandarin / 'I' See Standard Chinese phonology Shanghainese /kò 'tall' Near-back. Realization of in open syllables and in closed syllables. Czech 'eye' In Bohemian Czech, the backness varies between back and near-back, whereas the height varies between mid and close-mid . See Czech phonology Danish Standard 'measure' Near-back; typically transcribed in IPA with . See Danish phonology Dutch Amsterdam 'alas' Near-back; corresponds to open-mid in standard Dutch. See Dutch phonology Orsmaal-Gussenhoven dialect 'well' Typically transcribed in IPA with . English Cultivated South African thought 'thought' Close-mid for other speakers. See South African English phonology Maori Near-close in General New Zealand English. Scouse Typically transcribed in IPA with . Some Cardiff speakers Other speakers use a more open, advanced and unrounded vowel . General American Cambodia 'Cambodia' Near-back; often diphthongal: . Some regional North American varieties use a vowel that is closer to cardinal . See English phonology Yorkshire Corresponds to in other British dialects. See English phonology Faroese, cited in 'endured' Typically transcribed in IPA with . See Faroese phonology Finnish 'clock' See Finnish phonology French Parisian 'bridge' Nasalized; typically transcribed in IPA with . See French phonology German Southern accents 'full' Common realization of in Southern Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Open-mid in Northern Standard German. See Standard German phonology Western Swiss accents 'high' Close-mid in other accents. See Standard German phonology Greek Modern Standard / pos 'how' See Modern Greek phonology Hebrew /shalom/šɔlom 'peace' Hebrew vowels are not shown in the script. See Niqqud and Modern Hebrew phonology Ibibio do 'there' Icelandic 'air' Typically transcribed in IPA with . The long allophone is often diphthongized to . See Icelandic phonology Inuit West Greenlandic Maniitsoq 'Maniitsoq' Allophone of before and especially between uvulars. See Greenlandic phonology Italian Standard 'forensic' Common realization of the unstressed . See Italian phonology Northern accents bosco 'forest' Local realization of . See Italian phonology Japanese / 'child' See Japanese phonology Korean / 'barley' See Korean phonology Limburgish Hasselt dialect 'mug' May be transcribed IPA with . See Hasselt dialect phonology Malay Standard ڤوكوق / pokok 'tree' See Malay phonology Johor-Riau Norwegian Urban East 'law' Also described as close-mid . See Norwegian phonology Romanian 'there' See Romanian phonology Russian /sukhoy/sukhoj 'dry' Some speakers realize it as open-mid . See Russian phonology Scottish Gaelic Lewis 'red' Near-back and weakly rounded; allophone of in the diphthong. Serbo-Croatian / /kõd 'code' See Serbo-Croatian phonology Shipibo koni 'eel' Near-back. Slovene 'advertisement' Unstressed vowel, as well as an allophone of before when a vowel does not follow within the same word. See Slovene phonology Spanish 'all' See Spanish phonology Tera 'rope' Thai 'big' See Thai phonology Turkish 'arm' See Turkish phonology Zapotec Tilquiapan do 'corn tassel'

Notes

References

External links

pl:Samogłoska półprzymknięta tylna zaokrąglona