fourvoiced

Fourvoiced is a term used in linguistics to describe a hypothetical system in which speech sounds contrast on four distinct voice properties or phonation states. Unlike the more common binary distinction of voiced versus voiceless in consonants, or the familiar triad of modal, breathy, and creaky voice in some vowel inventories, fourvoiced refers to a four-way phonation system. The exact inventory is not standardized and varies across analyses; researchers may posit four registers such as modal voice, breathy voice, creaky voice, and a fourth category such as pressed or tense voice, glottalized voice, or another laryngeal quality.

In practice, the fourvoiced concept is theoretical and used mainly in discussions of phonation typology and experimental phonetics. It frames questions about how many distinct phonation states a language can encode and how listeners perceive them, as well as how such contrasts might interact with tone or pitch. Some work investigates perceptual salience, cross-language variation, and the phonological status of multiple phonation contrasts, though the existence of a robust four-way system in natural languages remains debated. Methodological challenges include achieving reliable cross-speaker perception and distinguishing phonation from other voice-related cues.

As a term, fourvoiced is not a standard feature of the phonological literature but a conceptual framework rather than a documented inventory. It is distinct from musical four-voice polyphony, which concerns independent vocal parts in singing and has no direct relation to phonation in spoken language.

See also: phonation, voicing, laryngeal contrast, vowel quality.