Fülllaute

Fülllaute, in linguistics, are epenthetic vowels used to fill a syllable or to ease the pronunciation of difficult consonant sequences. They are not always phonemic in the sense of carrying lexical meaning, but they can influence pronunciation, rhythm, and syllable structure. The inserted vowel is often a neutral or light vowel, with schwa [ə] being common, though the exact quality varies by language.

Fülllaute arise in several contexts. They frequently occur to resolve consonant clusters that are not permitted by a language’s phonotactics, or to bridge hiatus between morphemes in connected speech. They can also appear when adapting foreign words to a language’s syllable structure or in rapid speech, where fillers help maintain a regular cadence. In many cases the filler sound is short and unstressed, and may be realized as a simple vowel or, less often, as a glide.

Phonetic and historical aspects vary cross-linguistically. In some languages the insertion of a Fülllaute is predictable and remains optional, while in others it can become phonologized over time, someday turning into a distinct vowel or disappearing in certain dialects or registers. The study of Fülllaute intersects with epenthesis, hiatus resolution, and general phonotactics, and they are often discussed in contrast to other devices such as glottal stops or consonant insertion.

See also: epenthesis, hiatus, phonotactics.