THE GLOTTAL STOP IN PHONETICS

THE GLOTTAL STOP IN PHONETICS

The glottal stop [ʔ] deserves special discussion since it is not truly a vocal sound but rather a
phenomenon. When the glottis closes completely so that no air can flow into or out of the
lungs over the vocal folds, a glottal stop has occurred. They are frequent in English but are
never included in the spelling of English words. Consequently, many English speakers are
not even aware that they have been producing glottal stops all their lives. You produce one
every time you hold your breath (as when you go under water) for even a millisecond. There
is a glottal stop at the beginning of most English words beginning with a vowel. There is a
glottal stop in the middle of the expression “uh-oh” (an interjection when something goes
wrong). There is also a glottal stop in the middle of the negative expressions “huh-uh” and
“hmm-mm.” Glottal stops are very common in English, but we seldom notice them because
their presence or absence never determines the meanings of words. Consequently, they are
not included in the English writing system.

However, there are some languages in which they are very important since two words can be
exactly alike except that one contains a glottal stop and the other one does not. In Tabasco
Chontal of Mexico, for example, [tʰi] means maybe and [tʰiʔ] means mouth.