What is glottal fricative?

A glottal fricative, also known as a glottal approximant, is a type of consonant sound that is produced by pushing air through the constriction formed by the vocal cords in the larynx. This creates a turbulent noise that is heard as a friction-like sound.

The most common glottal fricative in English is the sound represented by the letter "h" in words like "hat" or "house." This sound is typically produced when the vocal cords are slightly apart and air is forced through the opening. It is a voiceless sound, meaning that the vocal cords do not vibrate during its production.

Some languages also have a voiced glottal fricative, which is similar to the English "h" sound but with vocal cord vibration. This sound is found in languages like Hawaiian and Arabic.

Glottal fricatives are relatively rare in the world's languages, but they are found in a number of different language families. They are often used as a manner of articulation in consonant sounds, along with stops, affricates, and other types of fricatives.