:Implosive:

Pronunciation GB: ɪmˈpləʊsɪv, GA: ɪmˈploʊsɪv

A stop consonant made with an ingressive glottalic airstream mechanism. Implosives which are found in the world’s languages are nearly always voiced and combine the above mechanism with a simultaneous pulmonic egressive airstream. Implosives may be produced at a number of places of articulation. The implosives shown on the IPA chart are: ɓ ɗ ʄ ɠ.

Voiceless implosives have been reported for Kichean languages of Guatemala, though there appears to be a good deal of variation in the phonetic realisation of the sounds concerned. See Pinkerton (1986) for further information.


Pinkerton S. (1986) Quichean (Mayan) glottalized and nonglottalized stops: A phonetic study with implications for phonological universals. In Experimental Phonology, ed. by Ohala J.J. and Jaeger J.J. Orlando: Academic Press, 125-139.