Velar consonant facts for kids

A velar consonant is a sound made when you use the back part of your tongue to touch or get very close to the soft palate. The soft palate is the squishy, back part of the roof of your mouth. Think of it like this: your tongue pushes up against the back of your mouth to make the sound.

In English, some common velar consonants are the sounds you make at the beginning of words like "cat" (the 'k' sound), "go" (the 'g' sound), and the 'ng' sound at the end of "sing." The 'k' sound is actually one of the most common sounds in languages all over the world!

How Do We Make Velar Sounds?

When you say a velar sound, the back of your tongue moves up. It either touches the soft palate completely, like when you say "k" or "g," or it gets very close to it, like when you say "w" in "witch." This movement creates a block or a narrow space for the air coming out of your lungs.

English Velar Sounds

Let's look at the velar sounds we use in English:

• The "k" sound: This is a voiceless sound, meaning your vocal cords don't vibrate. Try saying "cat" or "skip." Feel how the back of your tongue hits the roof of your mouth and then releases the air.
• The "g" sound: This is a voiced sound, meaning your vocal cords vibrate. Put your hand on your throat and say "go" or "get." You should feel a vibration. Your tongue does the same thing as for "k," but with your voice turned on!
• The "ng" sound: This is a nasal sound. When you say "sing" or "ring," the air goes out through your nose instead of your mouth. The back of your tongue still touches the soft palate, but the air escapes differently.
• The "w" sound: This is a special sound called a "labio-velar approximant." It means your lips are also rounded, and your tongue gets close to the soft palate, but it doesn't fully block the air. Think of the "w" in "witch."

Velar Consonants Around the World

Many languages have velar consonants. The IPA is a special system that helps people write down sounds exactly how they are spoken. Here are a few examples of velar sounds from different languages:

IPA Symbol	How it's Made	Language	Example Word	Meaning
	Velar nasal (like 'ng')	English	ring	ring
	Voiceless velar stop (like 'k')	English	skip	skip
	Voiced velar stop (like 'g')	English	get	get
	Voiceless velar friction sound	German	Bauch	abdomen (stomach)
	Voiced velar friction sound	Greek	γάτα	cat
	Voiced labio-velar approximant (like 'w')	English	witch	witch

See also

In Spanish: Consonante velar para niños