[a]→[h]Certainty: 3/5Commonality: 2/5
Open front unrounded vowel to Voiceless glottal fricative
The shift from a vowel to [h] is typically a result of extreme devoicing. In rapid or whispered speech, an unstressed [a] can lose its vocal fold vibration entirely, leaving only the friction of air passing through the glottis.
Phonetic Effects
Devoicing, Aspiration
Language Examples
[a] (unstressed)→[h]— In rapid speech, unstressed vowels can become devoiced, particularly in Northern dialects.
Related Transformations
More Devoicing Shifts
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