nonarticulable

Nonarticulable is a term used in linguistics to describe sounds that cannot be produced by the human vocal tract. These sounds are typically found in languages that have a larger inventory of phonemes than English, such as those spoken in Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Nonarticulable sounds are often described as "clicks," "implosives," or "ejectives," and they are produced by creating a sudden release of air pressure in the vocal tract, rather than by the movement of the tongue, lips, or other articulators.

Clicks are produced by closing the vocal tract at some point other than the glottis (the space between the vocal cords) and then releasing the air pressure suddenly. For example, the "click" sound in the word "click" is produced by closing the vocal tract at the back of the mouth and then releasing the air pressure suddenly. Implosives are produced by drawing air into the vocal tract, rather than pushing it out. For example, the "glottal stop" sound in the word "butt" is produced by drawing air into the vocal tract and then suddenly releasing it. Ejectives are produced by pushing air out of the vocal tract with great force, often resulting in a popping or clicking sound. For example, the "ejective" sound in the word "p't" is produced by pushing air out of the vocal tract with great force.

Nonarticulable sounds are not found in all languages, and their use is often limited to specific contexts, such as onomatopoeia or interjections. However, they can be an important part of a language's phonetic inventory, and their study can provide insights into the ways that languages evolve and change over time.