[f]→[ʔ]Certainty: 3/5Commonality: 2/5
Voiceless labiodental fricative to Glottal stop
The shift from the labiodental fricative [f] to a glottal stop [ʔ] is a severe form of debuccalization. In this process, the speaker abandons the oral gesture (lip to teeth) entirely, replacing the consonant with a simple glottal closure, typically in rapid or informal speech.
Phonetic Effects
Debuccalization, Glottalization, Lenition
Language Examples
off [ɒf]→[ɒʔ]— Coda f→ʔ debuccalization: voiceless fricative [f] replaced by glottal stop in rapid, informal Cockney/Estuary English.
fuerte [fweɾte]→[ʔweɾte]— Chain: f→h (documented Andalusian aspiration) → ʔ before glide. The direct f→ʔ is marginal; the intermediate [h] stage is more commonly attested.
Related Transformations
More Romance Shifts
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