[k]→[kʰ]Certainty: 5/5Commonality: 4/5
Voiceless velar plosive to Voiceless aspirated velar plosive
In English and other Germanic languages, the voiceless velar stop /k/ is aspirated [kʰ] in syllable-initial position and unaspirated [k] after /s/ or in unstressed syllables. This is classic allophony: the two variants are in complementary distribution and never contrast within a single language variety. The aspiration is predictable from context and not perceived by native speakers as a difference. Note: in Hindi, Mandarin, and other languages, /k/ and /kʰ/ are distinct phonemes — not allophones — and that phonemic contrast should not be confused with the allophonic pattern described here.
Phonetic Effects
Aspiration, Allophony
Language Examples
/k/ syllable-initial→[kʰ]— 'kit' [kʰɪt] vs. 'skit' [skɪt]: /k/ is aspirated word-initially but unaspirated after /s/. Both are realizations of the same phoneme /k/.
/k/ syllable-initial→[kʰ]— Standard German aspirates /k/ syllable-initially: 'kalt' [kʰalt] 'cold'. Unaspirated in consonant clusters.
/k/ (gē 哥 elder brother)→distinct from /kʰ/ (kē 科 subject)— Included for contrast: in Mandarin, [k] and [kʰ] are separate phonemes — the opposite of the English allophonic pattern.
Related Transformations
More Germanic Shifts
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