preaspirate

Preaspiration is a phonological process found in some languages where a voiceless stop consonant is preceded by an aspirated release of the preceding consonant. This means that when a stop like /p/, /t/, or /k/ is spoken, there is a brief puff of air before the stop itself, originating from the sound that came before it. This is distinct from aspiration, which is the puff of air that follows a voiceless stop. Preaspiration is often represented phonetically with a superscript 'h' before the stop, for example, [ʰp] or [ʰt].

The occurrence of preaspiration is not universal and is a characteristic feature of certain languages or dialects. For instance, it is commonly observed in some Germanic languages, such as Icelandic and Faroese, and also appears in some dialects of Norwegian. In these languages, preaspiration can distinguish meaning between words that would otherwise sound identical. It is a subtle phonetic phenomenon that requires careful listening to perceive. The exact phonetic mechanism and distribution of preaspiration vary across the languages that exhibit it. The linguistic analysis of preaspiration focuses on its phonemic status and its role in the sound system of a language.