The Language Sounds That Could Exist, But Don't

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 1 вер 2019
  • The International Phonetic Alphabet: one sound for each symbol, and one symbol for each sound. Except for the sounds we can't make. Pull down the description for the references! MORE LANGUAGE FILES: • Tom's Language Files
    Written with Gretchen McCulloch and Molly Ruhl. Gretchen's new book, BECAUSE INTERNET, is available now:
    🇺🇸 US: amzn.to/30tLpjT
    🇨🇦 CA: amzn.to/2JsTYWH
    🇬🇧 UK: amzn.to/31K8eRD
    (Those are affiliate links that give a commission to me or Gretchen, depending on country!)
    Gretchen can be found at lingthusiasm.com/
    REFERENCES:
    Harbeck, J. (2009). Presented at the 30th annual Editors’ Association of Canada conference, Toronto, June 6, 2009.
    Algeo, J., & Pyles, T. (2004). The origins and development of the English language (5th ed.). Boston, Mass.: Thomson/Wadsworth.
    Nicolaidis, Katerina (2005). "Approval of new IPA sound: the labiodental flap". Journal of the International Phonetic Association. 35 (2): 261.
    🟥 MORE FROM TOM: www.tomscott.com/
    (you can find contact details and social links there too)
    📰 WEEKLY NEWSLETTER with good stuff from the rest of the internet: www.tomscott.com/newsletter/
    ❓ LATERAL, free weekly podcast: lateralcast.com/ / lateralcast
    ➕ TOM SCOTT PLUS: / tomscottplus
    👥 THE TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES: / techdif

КОМЕНТАРІ • 10 тис.

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  4 роки тому +11932

    And that's it for this run of the Language Files! Thanks to co-authors Gretchen McCulloch and Molly Ruhl, and animator Stephen Houston-Moore. And to answer the question that'll get asked ten times in response to this, these videos and comments get scheduled weeks in advance so I don't have to worry about actually being online when they launch.

    • @phwaedih
      @phwaedih 4 роки тому +164

      Pls more language files in future 🙏🙏

    • @ResilientVulture
      @ResilientVulture 4 роки тому +140

      3 weeks ago? Someone explain this please thanks

    • @lunaraine
      @lunaraine 4 роки тому +38

      i was actually just about to ask how this comment was made 3 weeks ago (no offense) so thanks for answering that ^^
      also great series can't wait to see more in the future (if you're up for doing more that is)

    • @hiebrantsify
      @hiebrantsify 4 роки тому +56

      Next video - Languages that exist but shouldn't

    • @TotoDG
      @TotoDG 4 роки тому +13

      A’ight, see ya in three years.

  • @boeman6702
    @boeman6702 3 роки тому +16160

    "A velar trill is judged imposibble."
    Me for 5 minutes: *gghhghhhhhhhghgrhhgggrghrgrgggrghr*

    • @Balou
      @Balou 3 роки тому +527

      I dont know if this is meant, but in german the r is regulary made in where you speak the k

    • @AlohaFourpeaks_
      @AlohaFourpeaks_ 3 роки тому +31

      +111

    • @Guilhermetwc
      @Guilhermetwc 3 роки тому +150

      @@Balou that's i thought, in portuguese also there are a few words you speak the R in the same place where you speak the K

    • @porpus2117
      @porpus2117 3 роки тому +245

      I did it? Maybe unless I’m not thrilling the right place but it was really easy

    • @Rinkerbro
      @Rinkerbro 3 роки тому +152

      I just made the predator sound

  • @carrotmandoespixelmon1296
    @carrotmandoespixelmon1296 4 роки тому +14541

    “By all means try it” if you think I haven’t been imitating a dying owl for the past 30 seconds already...

    • @vinos1629
      @vinos1629 4 роки тому +117

      Same

    • @phs125
      @phs125 4 роки тому +318

      I think I can do it.
      Say kaaaa, but don't change position of your tongue. Keep it near the throat so that there's a layer of saliva that vibrates.

    • @CathodeRayKobold
      @CathodeRayKobold 4 роки тому +192

      RRRR! RRRRRRR! Wait, that's uvular. *Makes Gollum sounds.*

    • @Concretizer
      @Concretizer 4 роки тому +44

      @@phs125 i just tried this and it's quite cool

    • @shitinsahu2267
      @shitinsahu2267 4 роки тому +39

      @@phs125🤣 But can you form that layer of saliva at will? For sure it isn't always there.

  • @phylk4683
    @phylk4683 2 роки тому +753

    My parents are actually linguists and phoneticists and they always say to me “haaaarrrr kkkkk ha! Ooooowwwaaallllah qah-zah-blahc-kaaaahhh! At 2pm”.
    Always brings a tear to my eye if I’m being honest.

    • @missingtexturez
      @missingtexturez 2 роки тому +21

      Kinda wanna hear that

    • @phylk4683
      @phylk4683 2 роки тому +25

      @@missingtexturez its definitely special

    • @charvie1147
      @charvie1147 2 роки тому +70

      Looks like a google meet code

    • @kcufbla
      @kcufbla 2 роки тому +18

      Is that Klingon?

    • @astrobiojoe7283
      @astrobiojoe7283 Рік тому +21

      You're Cardi B's child?

  • @ViceroyoftheDiptera
    @ViceroyoftheDiptera 2 роки тому +478

    Of note: "hiccough" is a back-formation, "hiccup" is the older term. The spelling -cough came about from false-association with coughing.

    • @jhonbus
      @jhonbus Рік тому +11

      Let's do this with more words. Oughots oughore oughords! (Actually that last one should definitely oughork!)

    • @myhlosic
      @myhlosic Рік тому +27

      ​@@jhonbus i literally cannot read this

    • @sarcasticmoray6648
      @sarcasticmoray6648 11 місяців тому +5

      @@myhlosic I think he said, “what’s more words?”

    • @nadirhikmetkuleli7335
      @nadirhikmetkuleli7335 10 місяців тому +5

      Hiccup is associated with an unattested Old English verb Hiccan* and up as we know it, (Hicce up!*). Equivalents of unattested hiccan can be found in many languages in Germanic family.
      Frisian: Hikke, rarely hikke op
      Dutch: Hikken
      Danish: Hikke
      Norwegian: Hikke
      Swedish: Hicka
      Icelandic: Hiksti

    • @PC_Simo
      @PC_Simo 5 місяців тому

      That definitely makes sense 🤔.

  • @lonestarr1490
    @lonestarr1490 4 роки тому +12581

    I can totally imagine a bunch of scientists sitting together trying to produce all kinds of strange sounds just to decide whether a box of the table should be white or gray.

    • @JaimeIsJaime
      @JaimeIsJaime 4 роки тому +696

      sounds like a lot of fun

    • @cogithefool4284
      @cogithefool4284 4 роки тому +767

      You definitely haven't attended a phonetics class then.

    • @Flobbled
      @Flobbled 4 роки тому +422

      There's a party game hidden here...

    • @christianwetzel2199
      @christianwetzel2199 4 роки тому +125

      @@Flobbled or a big bang theory episode

    • @cenedra20
      @cenedra20 4 роки тому +281

      That's why phonology was my favorite course, it was funny as hell to sit through the class, every class 😄

  • @BurazSC2
    @BurazSC2 3 роки тому +5261

    new pick up line: "hey baby, don't mean to brag, but I can velar trill"

    • @bee4622
      @bee4622 3 роки тому +131

      Thats literally throwing up tho 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 роки тому +288

      "Mother can I have loose folds of tissue along my velum?"
      "For food?"
      "Yes."
      _actually produces velar trill_
      Velar trill time

    • @malachiwilliams4938
      @malachiwilliams4938 3 роки тому +25

      @Yokai369 Oh, that’s good.

    • @JulianDanzerHAL9001
      @JulianDanzerHAL9001 3 роки тому +25

      you could do a glottal lateral approximant - with some help

    • @nathanfryar3773
      @nathanfryar3773 3 роки тому +9

      I immediately tried

  • @williamjones7163
    @williamjones7163 Рік тому +683

    Took a beginning Spanish class once that had a bunch of teachers in it. They were complaining how hard Spanish was. The teacher asked how do you pronounce "comb", "tomb", "bomb" and why are they pronounced that way. Suddenly Spanish words were making a whole lot of sense.

    • @alexpallaressierra7730
      @alexpallaressierra7730 11 місяців тому +23

      Spanish is very easy to read, but has more words

    • @koalaunknown
      @koalaunknown 11 місяців тому +49

      @@alexpallaressierra7730 Spanish has way fewer words than English; it’s not even close.

    • @luxraider5384
      @luxraider5384 10 місяців тому +8

      spanish is very easy.

    • @julianburke7225
      @julianburke7225 9 місяців тому +1

      @@luxraider5384yeah

    • @_fedmar_
      @_fedmar_ 8 місяців тому +11

      Spanish is very simple! Few words, not many grammar rules, and just the right amount of tenses.

  • @dilldoe1492
    @dilldoe1492 2 роки тому +151

    Learning English is difficult, it can be taught through tough thorough thought though…

    • @dilgeatakan9366
      @dilgeatakan9366 4 місяці тому +4

      And they are *wildly* similar to each other. I mixed 2 of those up just because my mother language doesn't have dental fricatives /θ/ and /ð/ and I pronounce them as alveolar plosives /t/ and /d/.

    • @Miracle12348
      @Miracle12348 10 днів тому

      My head is spinning

  • @loopiloop
    @loopiloop 4 роки тому +13641

    The distinct lack of him trying to pronounce non-symbol phonemes displeases me

    • @evilelf6188
      @evilelf6188 4 роки тому +792

      The sounds that could make this into an awesome youtube vid, but don't.

    • @DerWaschbar2
      @DerWaschbar2 4 роки тому +774

      You mean what's expected from the title?

    • @TheBrokenSolstice
      @TheBrokenSolstice 4 роки тому +178

      Idk, a back of the throat trill is just a gargle sound, isn’t it? I can do it just fine with my uvula..

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 роки тому +34

      phuc ewe I can do that with the seed I swallow. The sunflower seed. I got it from my mailman.

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 роки тому +10

      phuc ewe Here's the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail

  • @kitioppa
    @kitioppa 4 роки тому +4945

    The language sounds that could exist but don't.
    *proceeds to talk about the ones that do exist and the ones that can't

    • @penngheeney
      @penngheeney 4 роки тому +448

      Exactly! Very interesting video, but also highly disappointing given the title.

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 роки тому +63

      Technically the white spaces are in that category- they could exist, but not yet.

    • @fpsgod3028
      @fpsgod3028 4 роки тому +18

      @@larsatticus6807 youre actually dumb

    • @Wigalot
      @Wigalot 4 роки тому +20

      @@fpsgod3028 could you explain why he's dumb?

    • @colefrazier4371
      @colefrazier4371 4 роки тому +50

      @@Wigalot we wanted to hear them

  • @mder3a
    @mder3a Рік тому +50

    Of all the things you make videos about, linguistics are by far my top favourite. They have really made my ears more sensitive to things in speech I never knew existed, and have made me realise that what I thought was unique to certain languages probably exists in other languages, but just really less emphasized and less central to them.

  • @shangerdanger
    @shangerdanger Рік тому +87

    funny you said "hawaii" which has a written glottal stop in hawaiian "hawai'i"

    • @derekschmidt5705
      @derekschmidt5705 6 місяців тому +11

      How is that funny? He pronounced it correctly to demonstrate exactly what he intended to demonstrate at the time it was appropriate to demonstrate it.

    • @kidzbop38isstraightfire92
      @kidzbop38isstraightfire92 5 місяців тому +1

      ​@@derekschmidt5705was just about to give same reply. Way to stay on his ass!

    • @quintonconoly
      @quintonconoly 3 місяці тому

      How so many subs

  • @susmitislam1910
    @susmitislam1910 3 роки тому +7095

    So this is basically a periodic table of human linguistic elements.

    • @georgiangelov13
      @georgiangelov13 3 роки тому +93

      Wow! I have never imagined that way....
      I always see the chart as a Map of Coordinates, and when meet the x and the y you’ll get a Linguistic sound cool

    • @Jr-ft9ii
      @Jr-ft9ii 3 роки тому +53

      A periodic table of sounds 😜

    • @BidwellRunner
      @BidwellRunner 3 роки тому +54

      Well, it's only the consonants. You need another table for the vowels.

    • @nayaland9115
      @nayaland9115 3 роки тому +11

      Oh wow
      I never thought of it that way

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 роки тому +14

      Affricates are molecules ... ?

  • @tiggysheppard3170
    @tiggysheppard3170 3 роки тому +4229

    Them: “Velar Trill is impossible”
    Chewbacca: GRGRGRGRGRGRG

    • @ashrose6946
      @ashrose6946 3 роки тому +93

      who needs English when you have Shyriiwook?

    • @hellcrafter5965
      @hellcrafter5965 3 роки тому +145

      Wouldn't Chewbacca's vocals count as a uvular trill though?

    • @tiggysheppard3170
      @tiggysheppard3170 3 роки тому +31

      @@hellcrafter5965 I honestly have no clue 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 роки тому +72

      @@tiggysheppard3170 For that distinct gargling sound, I'd definitely prescribe a uvular trill, or fricative. It's something waaay back there, with something bouncing around.

    • @nagranoth_
      @nagranoth_ 3 роки тому +6

      for humans...

  • @shadow8005
    @shadow8005 8 місяців тому +15

    I’m taking a linguistics class this semester and I couldn’t stop laughing imagining a language based on the sound you make when choking on water

  • @PaulNDeputy
    @PaulNDeputy 11 місяців тому +9

    As retired Speed-Language-Pathologist with a specialty in phonology, I enjoyed your presentation (as well as others you’ve made). They say you can always learn more and I have through you. Thank You.

  • @TheManWithTheFlan
    @TheManWithTheFlan 3 роки тому +17103

    although i thought i could pronounce things thoroughly enough, "hiccough" just ploughed right through me.

  • @sleepyLili
    @sleepyLili 4 роки тому +25602

    I'm a little disappointed that we didn't get to hear how those "possible but never used in any language" consonants sound like.

    • @pogogo51
      @pogogo51 4 роки тому +1075

      Come on! Brbrbrbrbr! We know you want to!

    • @EmeraldMinotaur
      @EmeraldMinotaur 4 роки тому +904

      Some of them do make limited appearances in some languages. If you research a little bit, you can figure out how to make them yourself.

    • @b3z3jm3nny
      @b3z3jm3nny 4 роки тому +510

      One has your bottom lips on your top teeth like /v/ but you don’t actually let any air escape like a /b/ or a /d/; you just let the air pressure build up with a perfect seal.

    • @BigShrimpin_
      @BigShrimpin_ 4 роки тому +942

      @@b3z3jm3nny So silence then?

    • @safebox36
      @safebox36 4 роки тому +411

      Put the tongue to your roof of your mouth and breathe in while making any sound...there's one for you, a sound that's not used in any language (technically). It is used in some stereotype nerd accents but other than that, not a lingual sound.

  • @sadiesavanna8369
    @sadiesavanna8369 2 роки тому +6

    Not me being in my room trying to pronounce the letters like: aEH lLiH Eei rrRrRr zxsßa BbUh cUHCFah

    • @amiga2025
      @amiga2025 2 роки тому

      this is how you raise demons.

  • @jorgee2320
    @jorgee2320 2 роки тому +20

    I learned IPA symbols and it helped me pronounce any language I want to learn easily. While other people struggle for long times to be able to pronounce a single word, pronunciation is not a big issue for me anymore.

  • @JohnFoley1701
    @JohnFoley1701 3 роки тому +5828

    I just tried a glottal lateral, now i need a fresh shirt.

    • @horstherbert35
      @horstherbert35 3 роки тому +276

      glottal lateral is basically what death metal vocalists do

    • @BierBart12
      @BierBart12 3 роки тому +63

      @@horstherbert35 RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

    • @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417
      @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417 3 роки тому +194

      @Jim Panse I know you were probably joking, but in case not I thought I’d point out that most singers who use those kinds of growls are usually relying on the “False Glottis” also called the “False Vocal Chords,” which are two soft fleshy folds in the vocal tract which don’t vibrate on their own, but can be brought closer together by constricting the muscles in your neck, which when combined with forcing air out of your lungs, produces a sound usually at least an octave lower than can be produced with your normal vocal chords. Alternatively, violently forcing air through your throat while constricting your normal vocal chords can also achieve that “gravelly” sound, but will damage them if done repeatedly.

    • @larks.
      @larks. 3 роки тому +30

      Make sure it’s a red shirt

    • @rathole36
      @rathole36 3 роки тому +2

      Same-

  • @HakureiReimuOfficial
    @HakureiReimuOfficial 3 роки тому +2786

    "You can't get your tongue down in your throat"
    Well, not in this website

    • @E4439Qv5
      @E4439Qv5 3 роки тому +154

      **Seinfeld theme**

    • @ShufTheXD
      @ShufTheXD 3 роки тому +113

      **credits rolling**

    • @leerye2227
      @leerye2227 3 роки тому +102

      **some laughing in the background**

    • @xtremefps_
      @xtremefps_ 3 роки тому +15

      But what if I have surgery to allow me to do it 🤔

    • @StormTheSquid
      @StormTheSquid 3 роки тому +49

      I think I just laughed so hard I made one of the greyed out sounds XD

  • @vitonildo
    @vitonildo 2 роки тому

    One of the most interesting videos I ever watched in UA-cam. Thanks, Tom.

  • @pineappleisthebest8768
    @pineappleisthebest8768 2 роки тому

    I don't know how you're so good at talking about topics I assume will be boring but then making really interesting videos about it

  • @almostfm
    @almostfm 3 роки тому +15689

    As someone once said: English is a language where "cough" "rough" and "through" don't rhyme, but "pony" and "bologna" do.

    • @wesleymays1931
      @wesleymays1931 3 роки тому +3613

      English isn't a language. It's 3 languages in a trench coat pretending to be one.

    • @Somnogenesis
      @Somnogenesis 3 роки тому +1032

      @@wesleymays1931 Yes, and in the one I speak those two things don't rhyme at all - I automatically see the latter as "bo-lon-ya", as in the city.

    • @Q75
      @Q75 3 роки тому +305

      Wth is bologna

    • @macaroon_nuggets8008
      @macaroon_nuggets8008 3 роки тому +618

      @@Q75 Some weird processed meat.

    • @Q75
      @Q75 3 роки тому +54

      @@macaroon_nuggets8008 ok

  • @YellowBunny
    @YellowBunny 4 роки тому +1514

    Are you choking?
    No, I'm just practicing the glottal lateral approximant.

    • @sorenkair
      @sorenkair 4 роки тому +17

      That would be a hilarious retort if you weren't suffocating.

    • @craideus1943
      @craideus1943 4 роки тому +3

      Bless you

    • @Asidders
      @Asidders 4 роки тому +2

      Danes.

    • @Tondadrd
      @Tondadrd 4 роки тому +6

      Of course, I am choking! *?L ?L ?L*

    • @generrosity
      @generrosity 4 роки тому +3

      (gargle gargle)

  • @caroleanderson4020
    @caroleanderson4020 2 роки тому

    Thanks for book recommend. I've been shopping vainly for a new book to read during hibernation. This one is good for the job.

  • @Samiju
    @Samiju 2 роки тому

    This is so interesting, I loved every second of this video.

  • @JoaquinMartinezKeen
    @JoaquinMartinezKeen 4 роки тому +6094

    someone should make a machine to pronounce the grayed-out areas.

    • @jamyreaf
      @jamyreaf 3 роки тому +35

      @@piggyzig ok... where

    • @sophiaw8177
      @sophiaw8177 3 роки тому +369

      I feel like im missing a reply...

    • @rdaisydraws
      @rdaisydraws 3 роки тому +140

      You could always try pink trombone

    • @alexandrei8275
      @alexandrei8275 3 роки тому +50

      @@rdaisydraws ah, yes the pink trombone

    • @mohdkhairi7591
      @mohdkhairi7591 3 роки тому +58

      That why dubstep come in

  • @martijnvanweele6204
    @martijnvanweele6204 3 роки тому +8694

    Imagine meeting aliens and trying to learn their language:
    "No, you're saying it wrong; it's said with a velar trill."
    "How am I supposed to make a velar trill!?"
    "You press your globox against the back of your throat."
    "Humans don't have a globox."
    "What an awful way to live..."

    • @Majima_Nowhere
      @Majima_Nowhere 3 роки тому +1197

      "Imagine having no globox
      This post was made by the X̷̢̡̧̧̡̢̨̨̘̙̭̩̩̩̤̤͕͙̮̜̬̺̭̪͉̼̲͈͉͓͉̮̻̮͚͔̺͖̞̯̜͎̯͚̣̣̗͍̩̻̘̤̲̪̺̘͚̠̟͎̜̠̩͚̎̀̿̿͆̎̕̕͜͜ͅͅe̸̛̛͎͙̟̘͙̻͇̠̰̪̫̻̘̓͐̉́́͂̅͊͌̅̾̄̌̇͊̉̌̓̌̋̒̈́͑͋̓̒̂͐̈́̄͋͆̆̾̀̃̉͑́̆̈́̕͘͜͝͝͝͝͝ṇ̷̨̧̧̢̡̧̨̛͎͈͈͖̰͕̗̱̤͚̱͙͚̗̰̳͈͙̠̦̗̪͈̤̥̥̮͕̳̻̯̫͈̬̱̟̳̞̬̙͕̼̦̮̲̹͍́͛̈̾́͛̿̎͌̔̋̒̎̈́͆̑͆͑̄̈́̓́̓̈́̑̔̈́̋͌͛͂̀͆̃̈́̒͌̈́̆̄̂͒̒̀̔͗͆́̉͘̚͘͘̚͜͜͜͠͝o̷̧̢̭̣̲͖̜͓̖̪̾̀̂̿͑̂̈́̋̄̈́̈́͛̊̅͐́͗̉́͆͋̀̾͆̇̊̋̅͒́̓͛̈́͛̇̇̄̐́̂̽́͒̉̚̚̚͘̚͝͠ gang"

    • @cheesecakelasagna
      @cheesecakelasagna 3 роки тому +266

      @@Majima_Nowhere This but unironically.

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 роки тому +390

      But there are probably some sounds humans could make that they can't
      "you can't make a friative dental? How quaint"

    • @martijnvanweele6204
      @martijnvanweele6204 3 роки тому +264

      @@colorfulchameleon9891 No. If sciencefiction has taught me anything, it's that aliens are always humans plus.

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 роки тому +288

      @@martijnvanweele6204 Honestly I personally dislike sci-fi for that reason. I think it'd be more interesting if aliens were completely unique species.
      But you're right. In modern sci-fi, they are just humans - BUT BETTER.

  • @miztahrayeproductions2942
    @miztahrayeproductions2942 2 роки тому

    So glad this was suggested to me. Subscribed immediately.

  • @ayskura1076
    @ayskura1076 Рік тому +1

    I appreciate these videos Tom :) it made me. Think about split tongue if some sound deemed impossible (or even outside the table) are made actually possible by using half of tongue for something and half for other. Same with piercings on tongue or on cheeks.

  • @phillipsandgren3094
    @phillipsandgren3094 4 роки тому +2018

    "Imagine making the sound like ga or ka with a trill"
    *Perry the Platypus noise intensifies.*

    • @quadpad_music
      @quadpad_music 4 роки тому +72

      DUDE I WAS THINKING JUST THAT.
      I seriously wonder how that noise was made for the show. I mean, it was probably a foley artist, but how?

    • @normiedorian6873
      @normiedorian6873 4 роки тому +39

      @@quadpad_music its not hard you raise the back of your toung up where the hard bump is and put the rest down like a slide and blow air out, it also sounds like the predator if you slow it down/ blow less air out

    • @joeybarela363
      @joeybarela363 4 роки тому +40

      @@normiedorian6873 I almost choked on my own tongue trying to do this, now I just feel dumb

    • @compulsivecommenter990
      @compulsivecommenter990 4 роки тому +6

      That would be a ʀa and a qa

    • @nuxapower
      @nuxapower 3 роки тому

      @@quadpad_music Palatal Trill

  • @jaewok5G
    @jaewok5G 4 роки тому +2561

    "a language with words that can only be pronounced while momentarily choking on a bit of undercooked salmon" - this sounds like something douglas adams would've invented.

    • @SoluKissin
      @SoluKissin 4 роки тому +101

      I can already read it in the slight condescension I read Hitchhiker's in.

    • @ChasMusic
      @ChasMusic 4 роки тому +36

      I've heard the x in German, Yiddish, Hebrew, and, I think, Arabic, is best approximated by the sound of trying to clear a fish bone from your throat. (Don't swallow one just to try, please. Just pretend.)

    • @metaparalysis3441
      @metaparalysis3441 4 роки тому +3

      @@ChasMusic I learn quranic arabic and I think you mean hamzah which I refer as a short a sound

    • @emilwibergh1014
      @emilwibergh1014 4 роки тому +10

      Basically Danish.

    • @spencer6580
      @spencer6580 4 роки тому +4

      This is the best comment in youtube history

  • @crayolasun
    @crayolasun Рік тому +2

    My son has apraxia so I've been exposed to these before but never in such depth! Thank you! Also, more examples would be utterly fascinating!

    • @kijeenki
      @kijeenki Рік тому

      a·prax·i·a | āˈpraksēə | noun
      • inability to perform particular purposive actions, as a result of brain damage

  • @MuMulen100
    @MuMulen100 2 роки тому +3

    this one video taught me more about phonetics than an entire year at university. wish I'd seen this sooner!

  • @abolishgender3240
    @abolishgender3240 2 роки тому +9119

    The best thing is to imagine a group of phonologists and linguists trying to judge whether a sound is impossible or not, these PhDs and postdoctorals making choking sounds without stopping the movement of air, trying to roll their Ks....

    • @miniraptor3211
      @miniraptor3211 2 роки тому +848

      Honestly, "trying to roll/trill your K's" sounds like an insult for someone trying something impossible. Might keep that one for later.

    • @yaboimagnus4776
      @yaboimagnus4776 2 роки тому +449

      as someone taking an alevel on linguistics that is currently at the phonetics section, that is exact what my class sounds like every single lesson , and it really is hilarious

    • @juliaabreus
      @juliaabreus 2 роки тому +186

      @@yaboimagnus4776 I'm so glad I'm still doing online classes, nobody can hear me choking over sounds that I theorically could make bcs they exist in my language but not in my accent

    • @freyafreyat
      @freyafreyat 2 роки тому +195

      "OMG tom was that a pharyngeal plosive? 😍"

    • @zjmullan
      @zjmullan 2 роки тому +6

      @@miniraptor3211 Not really. If you're that sensitive, stay off the internet.

  • @Brockohliflower
    @Brockohliflower 4 роки тому +1641

    'by all means, try it' *spends 10 minutes unintentionally insulting Donald Duck's grandma*

  • @Term-0
    @Term-0 7 місяців тому

    I have been trying to researching phonetics, but couldn't find a way in, until you mentioned the international phonetic alphabet. Thank you.

  • @foolyboi2640
    @foolyboi2640 2 роки тому +2

    Love how Tom Scott can make a video on the most mundane topics and I’ll still watch all of them

  • @AlexBrown9635
    @AlexBrown9635 2 роки тому +6122

    Tom: **impossible and unusable sounds**
    Beatboxers: I recognize the council has made a decision, but given that it's a *stupid* decision I've elected to ignore it.

    • @Loctorak
      @Loctorak 2 роки тому +116

      Tom: talking about spoken language.
      Beatboxing: not a language.
      Or in other words: how many English words require you to make a noise like a record scratch to say them?
      Z-z-z-zero.

    • @sheridan5175
      @sheridan5175 2 роки тому +277

      @@Loctorak How very English centric
      And besides, you're reffering to the letters in white. OP was referring to the letters in grey.

    • @kidsdomath1330
      @kidsdomath1330 2 роки тому +32

      You mean like clicks or ejectives?

    • @notablediscomfort
      @notablediscomfort 2 роки тому +40

      [laughs in deathcore]

    • @user-mv9vg8nc5o
      @user-mv9vg8nc5o 2 роки тому +9

      Liked for the marvel reference

  • @randoiguess
    @randoiguess 2 роки тому +4961

    We've been spelling 'Briʔish' wrong this whole time

  • @GigaAndy
    @GigaAndy 2 роки тому

    Really interesting video thanks Tom.

  • @reimandume9107
    @reimandume9107 2 роки тому

    Much appreciated Sir

  • @stludachris
    @stludachris 4 роки тому +2162

    Tom: “you physically can’t make that sound”
    Me: hold my beer... “łèhįœfæç”

    • @Perseus3248M
      @Perseus3248M 4 роки тому +208

      Do you want to summon cthulhu? Cause thats how you summon cthulhu...

    • @EmpireAntz
      @EmpireAntz 4 роки тому +30

      Seeing "æ" there, that's in the vowels chart ,':^)

    • @DnKmagic
      @DnKmagic 4 роки тому +66

      Hold my IPA*

    • @bingbonghafu
      @bingbonghafu 4 роки тому +10

      You can definitely pronounce that

    • @thegamingempire7746
      @thegamingempire7746 4 роки тому +10

      I hope people get the joke.. rather than going oversmart mode

  • @j.surnamez3588
    @j.surnamez3588 2 роки тому +1734

    fun party game: gather all your friends and you all take turns trying to make the FORBIDDEN SOUNDS and then vote on who did it best

    • @Molybdaenmornell
      @Molybdaenmornell 2 роки тому +112

      And make sure someone cleans up the spit and treats the sore throats.

    • @nemui9654
      @nemui9654 2 роки тому +78

      *accidentally summons demons*

    • @Anonymous-df8it
      @Anonymous-df8it 2 роки тому +42

      I tried to do the 'velar trill' and here's what I did (spoiler: when I tried it, I failed):
      1. Bring your tongue to the back of your mouth. Also, keep the tongue on the top of your mouth, like rolling your r's.
      2. Open your mouth wide to give your tongue space.
      3. exhale, but don't let the air go around the side
      Verdict: I was able to make the tongue vibrate, but it moved forward slightly meaning it was more of a palatal trill instead!

    • @Tzshchsjsjxijyo
      @Tzshchsjsjxijyo 2 роки тому +39

      @@Anonymous-df8it congratulations you just made me pronounce a breathy r, is that even a thing

    • @bearcubdaycare
      @bearcubdaycare 2 роки тому +4

      @@Molybdaenmornell I wonder if this isn't really the thing about them being listed as impossible...

  • @kishanikent964
    @kishanikent964 2 роки тому

    Thank you UA-cam for showing me this 2 years later I will do great things with this empecable knowledge.

  • @aggersoul23
    @aggersoul23 2 роки тому +2

    Ive watched this vid years ago, but never did I think about specialising in it.
    Now here I am, once again, between now and then. A phonetic expert _-_

  • @gccwang24
    @gccwang24 3 роки тому +823

    - Everything the light touches is a possible sound
    - What about that shadowy place?
    - That's beyond our borders. You must never try to pronounce them

    • @thesaltedlamp3444
      @thesaltedlamp3444 3 роки тому +7

      Wait... So, who are Scar and the Hyenas???

    • @user-zl1fx3lw9c
      @user-zl1fx3lw9c 3 роки тому +12

      @@thesaltedlamp3444 The loose folds hiding out in your throat that come out to laugh at you if you choke on food in exactly the wrong way.

    • @ananttiwari1337
      @ananttiwari1337 3 роки тому +2

      @Alexander Nawrot moo

  • @elietheshark1497
    @elietheshark1497 4 роки тому +426

    I want to imagine a bunch of 1890s era gentlemen sitting around a table in a very official building trying to make those impossible sounds and choking on their own voice limitations like khhhhhhkllkkkhhhhhhhhhhhhhkkhhsssssshhhhhhkkllllhhhhhuuuuuuuuuh

    • @nikkiofthevalley
      @nikkiofthevalley 3 роки тому +5

      That would be hilarious!

    • @sherbatt4769
      @sherbatt4769 3 роки тому +28

      Rutherford, for the last time we can't make a bilabial lateral fricative. Now let's try a labiodental lateral fricative.

    • @RandomPerson-py8yi
      @RandomPerson-py8yi 3 роки тому +2

      @@sherbatt4769 I laughed

    • @adararelgnel2695
      @adararelgnel2695 3 роки тому

      @@sherbatt4769 omg 😂😂😭

  • @Lpp360
    @Lpp360 8 місяців тому +1

    Wow man nice video.

  • @dannahbanana11235
    @dannahbanana11235 7 місяців тому +2

    "English isn't a language, English is three languages in a trench coat"

  • @thomasmelbournemusic4182
    @thomasmelbournemusic4182 4 роки тому +4041

    Just me who wants a simulation to hear what the impronounciable sounds would sound like?

    • @utetopia1620
      @utetopia1620 4 роки тому +232

      Only possible in the fifth dimension.

    • @blastodermis
      @blastodermis 4 роки тому +306

      It'll be speaking the language of gods

    • @S0up3rD0up3r99
      @S0up3rD0up3r99 4 роки тому +218

      Do you want to summon elder gods? Because that's how you summon elder gods!

    • @KuraSourTakanHour
      @KuraSourTakanHour 4 роки тому +150

      I think this is a Job for AI generated speech

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 роки тому +86

      I want someone to build a robot that can troll in the back of their throat. But usually robots use human voices to make words... hm.

  • @gomezfriesen
    @gomezfriesen 3 роки тому +3710

    I thought from the title you would be pronouncing the letters that can be pronounced but are not found in languages. I would love to hear those.

    • @tolgacetiner1243
      @tolgacetiner1243 2 роки тому +69

      Me too

    • @figgynewton5664
      @figgynewton5664 2 роки тому +86

      Ack, ookrq, brrrpup, meow, and rvoof, or something

    • @ellasedits_
      @ellasedits_ 2 роки тому +107

      @@figgynewton5664 all of those are used in at least English and possibly more as onomatopoeias

    • @ursulap.6722
      @ursulap.6722 2 роки тому +102

      Seriously, I feel clickbaited :-/

    • @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms
      @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms 2 роки тому +14

      @@waggyn My brain: eSports League..? English.. sign language? Eastern... Saint.. Louis?? OH! English Second Language!

  • @toni7808
    @toni7808 2 роки тому

    I’ve always thought about other letters so thank you

  • @73hhK41
    @73hhK41 2 роки тому +1

    Hey Scott!
    I have a REALLY long uvula, and I can trill a k type of sound. It makes an interesting sound, a bit like dragging a chair across a floor, or sometimes like a shallow purr of a cat (something like that).

  • @matthewthedford2041
    @matthewthedford2041 2 роки тому +5886

    Tom: “You can’t do a velar trill.”
    Most People: *Gollum noises*
    Me: *Aggressive purring*

    • @BadenPOWER189
      @BadenPOWER189 2 роки тому +75

      accurate

    • @undyingUmbrage413
      @undyingUmbrage413 2 роки тому +315

      honestly yea. a velar trill is possible, it just requires trilling with your uvula rather than your tongue. (might not count as a trill, but it still works like one)

    • @lektik2941
      @lektik2941 2 роки тому +210

      @@undyingUmbrage413 Totally possible. while watching the video I scoffed and then did this immediately. "There's just no flesh loose enough to bounce around right at the back of the roof of your mouth." XD

    • @flux.aeterna
      @flux.aeterna 2 роки тому +107

      @@undyingUmbrage413 I’m able to do this while inhaling instead of exhaling. Learned this after realizing, post tonsillectomy, that I could no longer glottal trill to make Chewbacca noises.

    • @juch3
      @juch3 2 роки тому +293

      God why do people keep saying this, if you use your uvula that means it's an uvular trill not a velar trill

  • @1337fraggzb00N
    @1337fraggzb00N 3 роки тому +2893

    Meanwhile in Germany:
    "Good day, how are you?"
    "Hello my friend, actually I feel splendid."
    "That is good to hear, I wish you best."
    Translation:
    "Und?"
    "Jo."
    "Jo."

  • @niaj.2684
    @niaj.2684 2 роки тому

    great video!

  • @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo
    @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo Місяць тому

    this is so interesting to watch

  • @meisteraffe2239
    @meisteraffe2239 2 роки тому +1802

    The Velar-trill is just the sound Perry the Platapus makes

    • @khaitranngoc4176
      @khaitranngoc4176 2 роки тому +128

      Thank you. The secret to velar trill is revealed, it's just an edited voice of Dee Bradley Baker.

    • @inkanonymous3064
      @inkanonymous3064 2 роки тому +22

      EXACTLY I LITERALLY THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING!!!

    • @ewanhendry1106
      @ewanhendry1106 2 роки тому +8

      I was literally thinking that!!! and we can definitely do it

    • @minecat1839
      @minecat1839 2 роки тому +9

      Agent P!!!!!

    • @kalebwingfield
      @kalebwingfield 2 роки тому +13

      wouldnt that be more uvular rather than velar?

  • @CaptainMorghan4152
    @CaptainMorghan4152 2 роки тому +18977

    But could we use an AI to simulate those “impossible” sounds? It would be really cool to hear them

    • @breadispain454
      @breadispain454 2 роки тому +2961

      No

    • @thatoneasian5660
      @thatoneasian5660 2 роки тому +8279

      @@breadispain454 mans straight up declined the idea

    • @CaptainMorghan4152
      @CaptainMorghan4152 2 роки тому +850

      @@breadispain454 yes

    • @kjarakravik4837
      @kjarakravik4837 2 роки тому +1662

      There are sounds certain animals make that humans can't. Maybe it's a bit like that?

    • @MrNikeNicke
      @MrNikeNicke 2 роки тому +1642

      The chart doesn't really describe sounds, but how they're produced, so if it can't be produced, there is no sound it corresponding to the chart.

  • @almosthuman4457
    @almosthuman4457 7 місяців тому

    a nice trip back in time and it's still interesting

  • @linguini1517
    @linguini1517 Рік тому +5

    I've seen a conlang that uses literally every slot on the table,including the impossible ones. Also, the table is changed so it is around 144x120 instead of the normal size, with the normal table fully inside of it

    • @kaengurus.sind.genossen
      @kaengurus.sind.genossen 7 місяців тому +1

      Was it a candidate for the cursed conlang circus?

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 7 місяців тому +1

      @@kaengurus.sind.genossen yes

    • @pikchassis
      @pikchassis 6 місяців тому

      @@linguini1517 what was it

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 6 місяців тому

      @pikchassis I forgot, its in agma schwa's cursed conlang circus

  • @jeremy1392
    @jeremy1392 4 роки тому +1083

    Everybody: "this is cool"
    Fantasy Writers: "This looks like a job for me."

    • @Daelyah
      @Daelyah 3 роки тому +36

      ...as an aspiring writer, I feel only slightly called out...

    • @anthonyt4154
      @anthonyt4154 3 роки тому +26

      someone can make a fictional language from this haha
      let's give languages besides Klingon and Elvish a chance

    • @Alchemy818.
      @Alchemy818. 3 роки тому +20

      I mean, I made two languages with clicks, whistles, hums, and chirps. They’re spoken by mermaid like creatures (clicks, whistles, hums) and harpy like creatures (whistles, chirps) so there’s that.

    • @danielsjohnson
      @danielsjohnson 3 роки тому +13

      "...so everybody. Just follow me."
      I'm probably overthinking this, but you reminded me of Eminem.

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 роки тому

      Am I the only conlanger who creates languages without stories? I mean, most people also don't need stories for their pictures/drawings.

  • @yangtra2534
    @yangtra2534 4 роки тому +2554

    "Impossible sounds to make"
    Beatboxers: Hold my beer.

    • @ikatulo_yt
      @ikatulo_yt 4 роки тому +32

      EXACTLY DUDE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE

    • @Bwizz245
      @Bwizz245 4 роки тому +82

      The sounds beat boxers primarily use actually do exist on the IPA; they’re called Ejectives

    • @ikatulo_yt
      @ikatulo_yt 4 роки тому +24

      @@Bwizz245 what about liprolls?

    • @Solipsisticdaydreams
      @Solipsisticdaydreams 4 роки тому +8

      I can trill my whole face.

    • @marcelineraber
      @marcelineraber 4 роки тому +42

      Beatboxing, the art of physically assaulting vegetables

  • @anwarmi2000
    @anwarmi2000 Рік тому

    Very informative

  • @Ryutix
    @Ryutix 4 роки тому +1337

    3:59 Today I learned that I speak welsh when the sun hits my eyes

    • @alphamoonman
      @alphamoonman 4 роки тому +45

      Comedy genius

    • @lewisbaitup6352
      @lewisbaitup6352 3 роки тому +27

      Its like a disturbed snake

    • @AnasHart
      @AnasHart 3 роки тому +9

      Minecraft spiders lmao

    • @Elias-hm7we
      @Elias-hm7we 3 роки тому +7

      Vampire hiss

    • @keyesey0796
      @keyesey0796 3 роки тому +5

      Today i learned that i speak welsh whenever i go to school

  • @KyleJMitchell
    @KyleJMitchell 4 роки тому +2381

    Wow, I had completely forgotten about that spelling of 'hiccup'.

    • @Narsuaq
      @Narsuaq 4 роки тому +14

      Same

    • @Sammie1053
      @Sammie1053 4 роки тому +12

      Only reason I remembered it is because of that Barshens video where they used the mouth separators

    • @BetaDude40
      @BetaDude40 4 роки тому +105

      I think it's kind of interesting how you can clearly see in British English that "cough" and "hiccough" are clearly derived from some jerking motion in the lungs producing a course sound. I never made the connection because I use American English, and it's interesting that you acknowledge how similar they are!

    • @girv98
      @girv98 4 роки тому +97

      @@BetaDude40 funnily enough, they're actually not related at all. The reason it's spelt like that is the same reason 'island' has an 's'. Someone thought they were related and changed the spelling to reflect that.

    • @nerdsimulator9646
      @nerdsimulator9646 4 роки тому +8

      *sameeeeee

  • @CGlatz-bs4vo
    @CGlatz-bs4vo 2 роки тому +1

    « but just because of the limitations of being human » damn this is powerful

  • @Jayson_Tatum
    @Jayson_Tatum 2 роки тому +1

    'Says you can't make this sound'
    Me who played with toys as a kid: "hold my tonka"

  • @DoctorDex
    @DoctorDex 4 роки тому +1358

    Every time you mention the international phonetic association, I imagine a kind of Jedi council for human speech.

    • @NoahHornberger
      @NoahHornberger 4 роки тому +53

      they are always on the streets handing out chap-stick, bottled water, and loads of alphabet soup

    • @raywilliams6717
      @raywilliams6717 4 роки тому +22

      @@NoahHornberger I want an alphabet soup will All possible letters/characters!! It would be amazing.

    • @lioraselby5328
      @lioraselby5328 4 роки тому +26

      What about the droid attack on the glottal laterals?

    • @graysongdl
      @graysongdl 4 роки тому +21

      That's what I've always thought of when Tom mentions the Unicode Consortium.

    • @ZeppelinBigFan
      @ZeppelinBigFan 4 роки тому +8

      I just wanted a beer.

  • @danbrew2487
    @danbrew2487 4 роки тому +1925

    You can trill a k, just pretend you're on a walky talky.
    Over.

    • @salemsmith7085
      @salemsmith7085 4 роки тому +65

      Dan Brew brilliant

    • @cora5187
      @cora5187 4 роки тому +82

      Also kinda works by growling but like. With more K involved

    • @JoshLeRose
      @JoshLeRose 4 роки тому +76

      Yes this is correct except it’s actually more of an [X] or an achlaut. It’s used in German.

    • @Oddn7751
      @Oddn7751 4 роки тому +159

      That's just a fricative! A trill requires something to vibrate.

    • @635574
      @635574 4 роки тому +17

      It makes a kchhh sound but thats not what it was supposed to be

  • @sol_mental
    @sol_mental 2 роки тому

    This video is too precious

  • @s4yum1
    @s4yum1 2 роки тому

    Finally my Linguistics major helped me understand one of your videos.

  • @ohifonlyx33
    @ohifonlyx33 3 роки тому +718

    Alternate title: Language Sounds That Can't Exist. I thought we'd hear the sounds that we actually COULD use.

    • @drausino
      @drausino 3 роки тому +81

      I agree. I was slightly disappointed. Those white boxes scream RPG potential.

    • @Laeiryn
      @Laeiryn 3 роки тому +21

      I assure you, if it's a sound the human vocal tract can make, someone somewhere at some point in history has used it in a language. Clicks are a good example but so is, say, Fluffy's bit of comedy about how that 'tsk' sound means entire paragraphs to a Latina mother.

    • @wesleymays1931
      @wesleymays1931 3 роки тому +2

      I can produce 2 separate pitches at the same time.
      Hint: I'm _not_ using my larynx to produce those pitches.

  • @AdeleiTeillana
    @AdeleiTeillana 4 роки тому +3684

    Well, I'm disappointed. I thought you were going to actually sound out what the sounds in the white boxes would be. 😕

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 роки тому +52

      Well that's what u get for being homeschooled

    • @alejrandom6592
      @alejrandom6592 4 роки тому +16

      do it yourself

    • @Liamhvet
      @Liamhvet 4 роки тому +136

      @@bradbradlylife9918 i dont like you

    • @nottoofast
      @nottoofast 4 роки тому +34

      @@bradbradlylife9918 I also don't like you

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 роки тому +6

      I feel like I'm in highschool again
      They don't tell u that when u drop out, the world drops out with u 🏄

  • @felipematus3021
    @felipematus3021 Рік тому

    Great video.

  • @valtteripennanen4043
    @valtteripennanen4043 Рік тому

    Forgot that this is from three years ago and still suprisingly holds up with that familiar Tom Scott style

  • @Akovor_
    @Akovor_ 4 роки тому +1580

    My mum walked into my room and wondered why i was going "haghh" and "lllllhhhh" in front of my computer

    • @xraptor10
      @xraptor10 4 роки тому +26

      I laughed out loud picturing this...

    • @Jayden3649
      @Jayden3649 4 роки тому +48

      @LaBelle424242 stop using that many emojis. It makes your comment hard to read, and you don't even need to include them since if you sentence makes sense you won't need to use emojis.

    • @acat4701
      @acat4701 4 роки тому +8

      @LaBelle424242 go back to Instagram or stop spamming emoji like some normie. Your comments are making me sick due to the overuse of emoji.

    • @IIIRobIII
      @IIIRobIII 4 роки тому +7

      That sounds like an NPC from Oblivion that ate a poison apple

    • @Naomi-gr7fm
      @Naomi-gr7fm 4 роки тому +5

      @@acat4701 You could just... ignore it.

  • @TheObamasMamas
    @TheObamasMamas 4 роки тому +1487

    I was hoping he’d try some of the sounds that are possible but never used

    • @vin-goldi
      @vin-goldi 4 роки тому +48

      Exactly what I was thinking!

    • @mina0rahman
      @mina0rahman 4 роки тому +10

      Same.

    • @vojtechdubcak6135
      @vojtechdubcak6135 4 роки тому +58

      A lot of them are actually used. But they do not contrast with other phonemes, there are simply allophonic. They have no dedicated symbol. For example, labiodental plosives are [p̪ b̪], bilabial flap is [ⱱ̟], uvular lateral approximant is [ʟ̠] and so on. The chart doesn't feature the labialized voiced alveolar fricative trill [r̝ʷ] which is a phoneme in czech and even contrasts with /r/, /ʒ/ and/rʒ/. If Tom were to pronounce for instance the voiceless retroflex lateral fricative /ɭ̊˔/ (which is a sound that doesn't exist in any language according to this video), you probably wouldn't hear the difference between the alveolar one (/ɬ/) and the retoflex one. And you would be disappointed saying "But both of them sounded the same." Now you can see that the title is a little misleading.

    • @travcollier
      @travcollier 4 роки тому +23

      @@vojtechdubcak6135 Phonetic production and perception are different 'filters', of course. My fav example was a Japanese professor who would use l and r flawlessly in English, but literally couldn't perceive the difference when listening. Though, totally deaf people who learn how to speak is more impressive.

    • @P3vlogVid
      @P3vlogVid 4 роки тому +4

      I wanted to like your comment but it's at 666

  • @samuelt8602
    @samuelt8602 Рік тому

    just happened to stumble onto this video again after finishing because internet, what a coincidence

  • @MaddieFishblob
    @MaddieFishblob Рік тому +9

    WAITTTTTT! Now I understand why when writing Arabic words using the English alphabet, some of the letters nonexistent in English are written as the numbers 2 and 3. There’s a 3 and a symbol similar to 2 on this chart! 😆 one of the great mysteries of the world unexpectedly solved tysm

    • @finnnaginnn
      @finnnaginnn Рік тому

      The "3" is more of a "z" with a tail.

    • @thevalarauka101
      @thevalarauka101 8 місяців тому +1

      the one that looks like a 3 is an old Z with a tail (for the zh sound) and the one like a 2 or a ? is a glottal stop

  • @aisforamerica2185
    @aisforamerica2185 4 роки тому +3872

    i was today years old when I learned hiccup is spelled "hiccough"

  • @natalya8988
    @natalya8988 3 роки тому +560

    Him: “These sounds are impossible”
    Everyone: KGHKGHFKFJFHDJFJHH

    • @philip8498
      @philip8498 3 роки тому +14

      how many people just straight up died trying these sounds?

    • @erikmensinga
      @erikmensinga 3 роки тому +3

      @@philip8498 oh no

  • @lightning_11
    @lightning_11 2 роки тому +1

    0:00 - "English spelling is a mess"
    You have just summarized all my pain for the last two years...

  • @SteveJones313
    @SteveJones313 8 місяців тому +2

    I can't get over Tom pronouncing "tongue" as "tong"

  • @lumpwurtroot
    @lumpwurtroot 3 роки тому +1242

    "Try and make a velar trill"
    Well i would if i knew what velar or trill meant

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 роки тому +28

      Brig B Velar means it’s made at the same place where /k/ and /g/ are made, and a trill is a manner of articulation

    • @CaveyMoth
      @CaveyMoth 3 роки тому +42

      [Cat purring noise] Is this really impossible for people?

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 роки тому +25

      Cavey Möth A cat purring noise isn’t a Velar Trill

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 роки тому +20

      Actually it’s kind of like an alveolar trill

    • @starrix4712
      @starrix4712 3 роки тому +3

      And I thought trills were only assigned to kitties

  • @christeebs
    @christeebs 4 роки тому +1264

    I'd appreciate a deeper look at this video. 20 minutes of Tom making noises pls

    • @asterism343
      @asterism343 4 роки тому +18

      _but what if it was asmr_ ...just kidding that'd be extremely cursed

    • @elietheshark1497
      @elietheshark1497 4 роки тому +8

      "20 minutes of Tom making noises." +14.8 point for phrasing

  • @astrovation3281
    @astrovation3281 2 роки тому

    This def made my appreciation for languages and the way we talk work bigger

  • @imawatermelon1439
    @imawatermelon1439 6 місяців тому +2

    Imagine aliens come to earth and only speak in a language with words that are impossible for us to pronounce and they can’t pronounce our words. 😂

  • @ohana21984
    @ohana21984 3 роки тому +457

    Instructions unclear, successfully summoned forgotten demons of the deepest depth of the underworld

    • @puppypi9668
      @puppypi9668 2 роки тому +2

      Phnglui mglwanaf w'agna-
      [_gets choked by a single tentacle like bart simpson for butchering the pronounciation_]

  • @henryrichard7619
    @henryrichard7619 3 роки тому +696

    “You can’t pronounce all those ‘P’s”
    _laughs in unvoiced bilabial trill_

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 роки тому +7

      @The Flying Dolphin Gemination would only yield a long pause and possibly, a release into a schwa

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 роки тому

      @The Flying Dolphin better

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 роки тому +1

      @@kurzeme
      _non-pulmonic bilabial release time_

    • @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu
      @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu 3 роки тому +8

      (letting your lips hang loose without using your vocal cords. Think the raspberry "pffff")

    • @eclipse-music
      @eclipse-music 3 роки тому +8

      For those interested (i.e., only me) that would be written /ʙ̥/

  • @steakfilly5199
    @steakfilly5199 Рік тому +4

    Came back here to say this video introduced me to phonetics a while back and now I’m mostly fluent in ipa and It’s one of my favorite hobbies. Thank you

  • @mattiaslindberg
    @mattiaslindberg Рік тому

    Amazing, never knew this existed

  • @statelyelms
    @statelyelms 2 роки тому +901

    I was hoping for him to make some of those ignored, but possible sounds.

  • @meilia7748
    @meilia7748 2 роки тому +2003

    the reason why that glottal stop occurs in “hawai’i” is because the hawaiian language actually uses the glottal stop as a letter, called the ‘okina. the closest a modern keyboard can get to writing an ‘okina is using an apostrophe, which is what i’m doing here, but in reality, the ‘okina is a separate character and it is included as a letter in the hawaiian alphabet. it’s also present in words like a’a (a type of lava) and pa’u (a traditional skirt). The ‘okina can’t just be left out of words either, because, and using pa’u as an example, “pau” just means “done”, not “skirt.” It affects pronunciation and meaning, and it’s really just a fascinating part of hawaiian language.

    • @sonictailsandsally
      @sonictailsandsally 2 роки тому +80

      Reminds me of a similar concept in Japanese: いた (ita) vs いった (itta)

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist 2 роки тому +58

      @@sonictailsandsally Doubled consonants are a thing in Finnish as well.
      I've also somewhat recently realised that English as an overarching concept does not necessarily differentiate vowel length the way many languages including my own (Czech) do - even though I also think many dialects of English actually do (just like some dialects of Czech kind of don't), it's just that English on the whole has a habit of dismissing such differences...

    • @AJthe13th
      @AJthe13th 2 роки тому +20

      oh cool, that's something new that I just learned. So that's why there are a lot of apostrophes when we read hawaiian words in english

    • @OogyTheMango
      @OogyTheMango 2 роки тому +27

      An ‘okina is typically depicted as a backwards/upside down apostrophe. If you're using a mobile keyboard and hold down the ' key it might show up: ‘ Otherwise you have to use a special shortcut on the computer.

    • @bitmap4766
      @bitmap4766 2 роки тому +13

      A glottal stop is a separate letter in Klingon as well!

  • @coldcanida
    @coldcanida 2 роки тому

    I just had my tonsils removed about a week ago and this video brought me much pain...

  • @OneTwoFive0
    @OneTwoFive0 2 роки тому +1

    I’ve always thought about this but never cared to look, interesting