lõpprõhverd

Lõpprõhverd, sometimes translated as final consonants or terminal obstruents, refers to a linguistic phenomenon found in some languages where the final sound of a word is restricted to a specific subset of consonants. This is particularly common in languages that exhibit a process of consonant lenition or weakening, where certain consonants may change or disappear at the end of a word. In many cases, the final consonants are limited to voiceless stops like /p/, /t/, and /k/, or sometimes fricatives. The specific set of permissible lõpprõhverd varies significantly from one language to another.

This phonological rule can impact the pronunciation and even the orthography of a language. For instance, if a word would naturally end in a voiced consonant, it might be pronounced as its voiceless counterpart to comply with the lõpprõhverd rule. This phenomenon is a feature of several Finno-Ugric languages, including Estonian, where it plays a role in distinguishing word forms and in the broader sound system. Understanding lõpprõhverd is crucial for accurate pronunciation and for comprehending the phonological structure of languages that exhibit this characteristic. It's a predictable and systematic aspect of word-final phonology in these linguistic systems.