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Voiceless bidental fricative
h̪͆
The voiceless bidental fricative is a rare consonantal sound. The only natural language known to use it is the Shapsug dialect of Adyghe, where it appears as a variant of /x/.[1]
People with hypoglossia (abnormally small tongue) may use it for target /s/.
Its manner of articulation is fricative, which means it is produced by constricting air flow through a narrow channel at the place of articulation, causing turbulence.
Its place of articulation is bidental, which means it is articulated with the lower and upper teeth pressed together.
Its phonation is voiceless, which means it is produced without vibrations of the vocal cords.
It is an oral consonant, which means air is allowed to escape through the mouth only.
Because the sound is not produced with airflow over the tongue, the central–lateral dichotomy does not apply.
The airstream mechanism is pulmonic, which means it is articulated by pushing air solely with the lungs and diaphragm, as in most sounds.
