Open back rounded vowel

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IPA – number	313
IPA – text	ɒ
IPA – image
Entity	ɒ
X-SAMPA	Q
Kirshenbaum	A.
Sound sample (help·info)

The open back rounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ɒ, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is Q. The symbol <ɒ> is called turned script a, because it is a rotated version of script a, so-called because it lacks the extra stroke on top of a printed 'a'. Turned script a, which has its linear stroke on the left, should not be confused with script a <ɑ>, which has its linear stroke on the right and corresponds to an unrounded version of this vowel, the open back unrounded vowel. A well rounded [ɒ] is rare, though it is found in some varieties of English.

[edit] Features

• Its vowel height is open, which means the tongue is positioned as far as possible from the roof of the mouth.
• Its vowel backness is back, which means the tongue is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant.
• Its vowel roundedness is rounded, which means that the lips are rounded.

[edit] Occurrence

Language		Word	IPA	Meaning	Notes
Afrikaans		daar	[dɒːr]	'there'	Usually found in northern Transvaal dialects.
Assamese		?	[pɒt]	'to bury'
English	Boston	Boston	[bɒːstən]	'Boston'
	RP	hot	[hɒt]	'hot'	See English phonology
	South African	park	[pɒ̟k]	'park'
Hungarian		magyar	[mɒɟɒr]	'Hungarian'	See Hungarian phonology
Kol		öle	[ɒle]	'name'
Occitan	Auvergnat	país	[pɒˈji]	'world'
	Limousin				Some northern dialects
Persian		نان	[nɒ̜n]	'bread'	See Persian phonology
Waris		ov	[ɒβ]	'sky'
Western Desert Language	Martu Wangka	waŋka	[wɒŋgɑ]	'talk'