The Language Sounds That Could Exist, But Don't

แชร์
ฝัง
  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 1 ก.ย. 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

ความคิดเห็น • 10K

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  4 ปีที่แล้ว +11934

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +164

      Pls more language files in future 🙏🙏

    • @ResilientVulture
      @ResilientVulture 4 ปีที่แล้ว +140

      3 weeks ago? Someone explain this please thanks

    • @lunaraine
      @lunaraine 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +56

      Next video - Languages that exist but shouldn't

    • @TotoDG
      @TotoDG 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      A’ight, see ya in three years.

  • @loopiloop
    @loopiloop 4 ปีที่แล้ว +13658

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

    • @evilelf6188
      @evilelf6188 4 ปีที่แล้ว +793

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

    • @DerWaschbar2
      @DerWaschbar2 4 ปีที่แล้ว +777

      You mean what's expected from the title?

    • @TheBrokenSolstice
      @TheBrokenSolstice 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +34

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

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

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

  • @boeman6702
    @boeman6702 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16189

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

    • @Balou
      @Balou 3 ปีที่แล้ว +528

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

    • @AlohaFourpeaks_
      @AlohaFourpeaks_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      +111

    • @Guilhermetwc
      @Guilhermetwc 3 ปีที่แล้ว +151

      @@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 ปีที่แล้ว +247

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

    • @Rinkerbro
      @Rinkerbro 3 ปีที่แล้ว +153

      I just made the predator sound

  • @ViceroyoftheDiptera
    @ViceroyoftheDiptera 2 ปีที่แล้ว +486

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

    • @jhonbus
      @jhonbus ปีที่แล้ว +11

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

    • @myhlosic
      @myhlosic ปีที่แล้ว +27

      ​@@jhonbus i literally cannot read this

    • @sarcasticmoray6648
      @sarcasticmoray6648 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

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

    • @nadirhikmetkuleli7335
      @nadirhikmetkuleli7335 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      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 หลายเดือนก่อน

      That definitely makes sense 🤔.

  • @williamjones7163
    @williamjones7163 ปีที่แล้ว +690

    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 หลายเดือนก่อน +25

      Spanish is very easy to read, but has more words

    • @koalaunknown
      @koalaunknown 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +52

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

    • @luxraider5384
      @luxraider5384 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      spanish is very easy.

    • @julianburke7225
      @julianburke7225 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@luxraider5384yeah

    • @_fedmar_
      @_fedmar_ 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

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

  • @carrotmandoespixelmon1296
    @carrotmandoespixelmon1296 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14571

    “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 ปีที่แล้ว +117

      Same

    • @phs125
      @phs125 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +192

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

    • @Concretizer
      @Concretizer 4 ปีที่แล้ว +44

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

    • @shitinsahu2267
      @shitinsahu2267 4 ปีที่แล้ว +39

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

  • @BurazSC2
    @BurazSC2 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5269

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

    • @bee4622
      @bee4622 3 ปีที่แล้ว +132

      Thats literally throwing up tho 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 ปีที่แล้ว +289

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

    • @malachiwilliams4938
      @malachiwilliams4938 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      @Yokai369 Oh, that’s good.

    • @JulianDanzerHAL9001
      @JulianDanzerHAL9001 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      you could do a glottal lateral approximant - with some help

    • @nathanfryar3773
      @nathanfryar3773 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I immediately tried

  • @dilldoe1492
    @dilldoe1492 2 ปีที่แล้ว +159

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

    • @dilgeatakan9366
      @dilgeatakan9366 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +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 18 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      My head is spinning

  • @mder3a
    @mder3a ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @lonestarr1490
    @lonestarr1490 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12591

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +697

      sounds like a lot of fun

    • @cogithefool4284
      @cogithefool4284 4 ปีที่แล้ว +767

      You definitely haven't attended a phonetics class then.

    • @Flobbled
      @Flobbled 4 ปีที่แล้ว +422

      There's a party game hidden here...

    • @christianwetzel2199
      @christianwetzel2199 4 ปีที่แล้ว +125

      @@Flobbled or a big bang theory episode

    • @cenedra20
      @cenedra20 4 ปีที่แล้ว +281

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

  • @sleepyLili
    @sleepyLili 4 ปีที่แล้ว +25605

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +1076

      Come on! Brbrbrbrbr! We know you want to!

    • @EmeraldMinotaur
      @EmeraldMinotaur 4 ปีที่แล้ว +905

      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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +942

      @@b3z3jm3nny So silence then?

    • @safebox36
      @safebox36 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @shangerdanger
    @shangerdanger ปีที่แล้ว +88

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

    • @derekschmidt5705
      @derekschmidt5705 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +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 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

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

    • @quintonconoly
      @quintonconoly 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      How so many subs

  • @shadow8005
    @shadow8005 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +17

    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

    • @cheesuschrist4473
      @cheesuschrist4473 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      French

    • @Miracle12348
      @Miracle12348 18 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      NO-

    • @alyanahzoe
      @alyanahzoe 16 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@Miracle12348 then, what is it?

    • @Miracle12348
      @Miracle12348 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@alyanahzoe what is what?

    • @alyanahzoe
      @alyanahzoe 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@Miracle12348 the sound you make when choking on water.

  • @susmitislam1910
    @susmitislam1910 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7098

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

    • @georgiangelov13
      @georgiangelov13 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +53

      A periodic table of sounds 😜

    • @BidwellRunner
      @BidwellRunner 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

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

    • @nayaland9115
      @nayaland9115 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Oh wow
      I never thought of it that way

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Affricates are molecules ... ?

  • @almostfm
    @almostfm 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15719

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

    • @wesleymays1931
      @wesleymays1931 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3619

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

    • @Somnogenesis
      @Somnogenesis 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1036

      @@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 ปีที่แล้ว +306

      Wth is bologna

    • @macaroon_nuggets8008
      @macaroon_nuggets8008 3 ปีที่แล้ว +619

      @@Q75 Some weird processed meat.

    • @Q75
      @Q75 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      @@macaroon_nuggets8008 ok

  • @PaulNDeputy
    @PaulNDeputy 11 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

    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.

  • @jorgee2320
    @jorgee2320 2 ปีที่แล้ว +21

    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.

    • @user-up9oy2wt9q
      @user-up9oy2wt9q 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      how did you learn? speaking as a language builder for a fantasy setting.

  • @TheManWithTheFlan
    @TheManWithTheFlan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17103

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

    • @telloy9467
      @telloy9467 3 ปีที่แล้ว +237

      Nice!

    • @mixtlillness9825
      @mixtlillness9825 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1362

      That must’ve been tough.

    • @charlene.w.6124
      @charlene.w.6124 3 ปีที่แล้ว +86

      niceee one

    • @Jason-re4dw
      @Jason-re4dw 3 ปีที่แล้ว +780

      Most people seem to use hiccup as hiccough isn't a word you write down often.

    • @Kai_On_Paws_4298
      @Kai_On_Paws_4298 2 ปีที่แล้ว +99

      How i say it: h-ih-ck-auff. Am i right?

  • @tiggysheppard3170
    @tiggysheppard3170 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4228

    Them: “Velar Trill is impossible”
    Chewbacca: GRGRGRGRGRGRG

    • @ashrose6946
      @ashrose6946 3 ปีที่แล้ว +93

      who needs English when you have Shyriiwook?

    • @hellcrafter5965
      @hellcrafter5965 3 ปีที่แล้ว +145

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

    • @tiggysheppard3170
      @tiggysheppard3170 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@hellcrafter5965 I honestly have no clue 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      for humans...

  • @vitonildo
    @vitonildo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @dannahbanana11235
    @dannahbanana11235 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

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

  • @kitioppa
    @kitioppa 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4950

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +448

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

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 ปีที่แล้ว +63

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

    • @fpsgod3028
      @fpsgod3028 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

      @@larsatticus6807 youre actually dumb

    • @Wigalot
      @Wigalot 4 ปีที่แล้ว +20

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

    • @colefrazier4371
      @colefrazier4371 4 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      @@Wigalot we wanted to hear them

  • @JohnFoley1701
    @JohnFoley1701 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5830

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

    • @horstherbert35
      @horstherbert35 3 ปีที่แล้ว +276

      glottal lateral is basically what death metal vocalists do

    • @BierBart12
      @BierBart12 3 ปีที่แล้ว +63

      @@horstherbert35 RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

    • @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417
      @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Make sure it’s a red shirt

    • @rathole36
      @rathole36 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Same-

  • @sadiesavanna8369
    @sadiesavanna8369 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

    • @amiga2025
      @amiga2025 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      this is how you raise demons.

  • @MuMulen100
    @MuMulen100 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

  • @JoaquinMartinezKeen
    @JoaquinMartinezKeen 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6094

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

    • @jamyreaf
      @jamyreaf 3 ปีที่แล้ว +35

      @@piggyzig ok... where

    • @sophiaw8177
      @sophiaw8177 3 ปีที่แล้ว +369

      I feel like im missing a reply...

    • @rdaisydraws
      @rdaisydraws 3 ปีที่แล้ว +140

      You could always try pink trombone

    • @alexandrei8275
      @alexandrei8275 3 ปีที่แล้ว +50

      @@rdaisydraws ah, yes the pink trombone

    • @mohdkhairi7591
      @mohdkhairi7591 3 ปีที่แล้ว +58

      That why dubstep come in

  • @HakureiReimuOfficial
    @HakureiReimuOfficial 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2786

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

    • @E4439Qv5
      @E4439Qv5 3 ปีที่แล้ว +154

      **Seinfeld theme**

    • @ShufTheXD
      @ShufTheXD 3 ปีที่แล้ว +113

      **credits rolling**

    • @leerye2227
      @leerye2227 3 ปีที่แล้ว +102

      **some laughing in the background**

    • @xtremefps_
      @xtremefps_ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

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

    • @StormTheSquid
      @StormTheSquid 3 ปีที่แล้ว +49

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

  • @pineappleisthebest8768
    @pineappleisthebest8768 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    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

  • @crayolasun
    @crayolasun ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @martijnvanweele6204
    @martijnvanweele6204 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +1197

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

    • @cheesecakelasagna
      @cheesecakelasagna 3 ปีที่แล้ว +266

      @@Majima_Nowhere This but unironically.

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +264

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

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @Brockohliflower
    @Brockohliflower 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1641

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

  • @ayskura1076
    @ayskura1076 ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @caroleanderson4020
    @caroleanderson4020 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @YellowBunny
    @YellowBunny 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1514

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

    • @sorenkair
      @sorenkair 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

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

    • @craideus1943
      @craideus1943 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Bless you

    • @Asidders
      @Asidders 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Danes.

    • @Tondadrd
      @Tondadrd 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

    • @generrosity
      @generrosity 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      (gargle gargle)

  • @jaewok5G
    @jaewok5G 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2562

    "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 ปีที่แล้ว +101

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

    • @ChasMusic
      @ChasMusic 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +3

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

    • @emilwibergh1014
      @emilwibergh1014 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Basically Danish.

    • @spencer6580
      @spencer6580 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      This is the best comment in youtube history

  • @Samiju
    @Samiju 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @aggersoul23
    @aggersoul23 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 _-_

  • @thomasmelbournemusic4182
    @thomasmelbournemusic4182 4 ปีที่แล้ว +4041

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

    • @utetopia1620
      @utetopia1620 4 ปีที่แล้ว +232

      Only possible in the fifth dimension.

    • @blastodermis
      @blastodermis 4 ปีที่แล้ว +306

      It'll be speaking the language of gods

    • @S0up3rD0up3r99
      @S0up3rD0up3r99 4 ปีที่แล้ว +218

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

    • @KuraSourTakanHour
      @KuraSourTakanHour 4 ปีที่แล้ว +150

      I think this is a Job for AI generated speech

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @abolishgender3240
    @abolishgender3240 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9117

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +195

      "OMG tom was that a pharyngeal plosive? 😍"

    • @zjmullan
      @zjmullan 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

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

  • @foolyboi2640
    @foolyboi2640 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @miztahrayeproductions2942
    @miztahrayeproductions2942 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    So glad this was suggested to me. Subscribed immediately.

  • @phillipsandgren3094
    @phillipsandgren3094 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2018

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

    • @quadpad_music
      @quadpad_music 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +40

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

    • @compulsivecommenter990
      @compulsivecommenter990 4 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      That would be a ʀa and a qa

    • @nuxapower
      @nuxapower 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@quadpad_music Palatal Trill

  • @randoiguess
    @randoiguess 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4961

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

  • @73hhK41
    @73hhK41 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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).

  • @Term-0
    @Term-0 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

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

  • @1337fraggzb00N
    @1337fraggzb00N 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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."

    • @Codricmon
      @Codricmon 3 ปีที่แล้ว +495

      That is actually a surprisingly accurate observation.
      Or in German:
      Passt.

    • @theteddychannel8529
      @theteddychannel8529 3 ปีที่แล้ว +159

      @@Codricmon sitzt, passt, wackelt und hat Luft.

    • @holgerbussen2033
      @holgerbussen2033 3 ปีที่แล้ว +99

      muss ja ne

    • @DrSpaceman69
      @DrSpaceman69 3 ปีที่แล้ว +54

      wat.

    • @1337fraggzb00N
      @1337fraggzb00N 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

      @@DrSpaceman69 k

  • @AlexBrown9635
    @AlexBrown9635 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6120

    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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +32

      You mean like clicks or ejectives?

    • @notablediscomfort
      @notablediscomfort 2 ปีที่แล้ว +40

      [laughs in deathcore]

    • @user-mv9vg8nc5o
      @user-mv9vg8nc5o 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Liked for the marvel reference

  • @kishanikent964
    @kishanikent964 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @almosthuman4457
    @almosthuman4457 8 หลายเดือนก่อน

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

  • @CaptainMorghan4152
    @CaptainMorghan4152 2 ปีที่แล้ว +18975

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

    • @breadispain454
      @breadispain454 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2960

      No

    • @thatoneasian5660
      @thatoneasian5660 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8278

      @@breadispain454 mans straight up declined the idea

    • @CaptainMorghan4152
      @CaptainMorghan4152 2 ปีที่แล้ว +850

      @@breadispain454 yes

    • @kjarakravik4837
      @kjarakravik4837 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1662

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

    • @MrNikeNicke
      @MrNikeNicke 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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.

  • @AdeleiTeillana
    @AdeleiTeillana 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +52

      Well that's what u get for being homeschooled

    • @alejrandom6592
      @alejrandom6592 4 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      do it yourself

    • @Liamhvet
      @Liamhvet 4 ปีที่แล้ว +136

      @@bradbradlylife9918 i dont like you

    • @nottoofast
      @nottoofast 4 ปีที่แล้ว +34

      @@bradbradlylife9918 I also don't like you

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 🏄

  • @GigaAndy
    @GigaAndy 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Really interesting video thanks Tom.

  • @nekierin6402
    @nekierin6402 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    3:29 I came

  • @elietheshark1497
    @elietheshark1497 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That would be hilarious!

    • @sherbatt4769
      @sherbatt4769 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@sherbatt4769 I laughed

    • @adararelgnel2695
      @adararelgnel2695 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@sherbatt4769 omg 😂😂😭

  • @gccwang24
    @gccwang24 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @user-zl1fx3lw9c
      @user-zl1fx3lw9c 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @Alexander Nawrot moo

  • @MaddieFishblob
    @MaddieFishblob ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว

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

    • @thevalarauka101
      @thevalarauka101 8 หลายเดือนก่อน +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

  • @moonbyme
    @moonbyme ปีที่แล้ว +16

    as a linguistics student, im proud that i can understand this video. i did learn something afterall

    • @christopherperez9845
      @christopherperez9845 10 หลายเดือนก่อน

      As a stem student I’m glad there was a organized graph to make me understand it

  • @j.surnamez3588
    @j.surnamez3588 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +112

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

    • @nemui9654
      @nemui9654 2 ปีที่แล้ว +78

      *accidentally summons demons*

    • @Anonymous-df8it
      @Anonymous-df8it 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +39

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

    • @bearcubdaycare
      @bearcubdaycare 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @gomezfriesen
    @gomezfriesen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +69

      Me too

    • @figgynewton5664
      @figgynewton5664 2 ปีที่แล้ว +86

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

    • @ellasedits_
      @ellasedits_ 2 ปีที่แล้ว +107

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

    • @ursulap.6722
      @ursulap.6722 2 ปีที่แล้ว +102

      Seriously, I feel clickbaited :-/

    • @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms
      @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms 2 ปีที่แล้ว +14

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

  • @SteveJones313
    @SteveJones313 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

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

  • @reimandume9107
    @reimandume9107 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    Much appreciated Sir

  • @stludachris
    @stludachris 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2162

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

    • @Perseus3248M
      @Perseus3248M 4 ปีที่แล้ว +208

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

    • @EmpireAntz
      @EmpireAntz 4 ปีที่แล้ว +30

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

    • @DnKmagic
      @DnKmagic 4 ปีที่แล้ว +66

      Hold my IPA*

    • @bingbonghafu
      @bingbonghafu 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      You can definitely pronounce that

    • @thegamingempire7746
      @thegamingempire7746 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

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

  • @Ryutix
    @Ryutix 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1337

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

    • @alphamoonman
      @alphamoonman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +45

      Comedy genius

    • @lewisbaitup6352
      @lewisbaitup6352 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

      Its like a disturbed snake

    • @AnasHart
      @AnasHart 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Minecraft spiders lmao

    • @Elias-hm7we
      @Elias-hm7we 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      Vampire hiss

    • @keyesey0796
      @keyesey0796 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @toni7808
    @toni7808 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    I’ve always thought about other letters so thank you

  • @jeremy1392
    @jeremy1392 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1083

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

    • @Daelyah
      @Daelyah 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

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

    • @anthonyt4154
      @anthonyt4154 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

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

    • @Alchemy818.
      @Alchemy818. 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +13

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

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @KyleJMitchell
    @KyleJMitchell 4 ปีที่แล้ว +2381

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

    • @Narsuaq
      @Narsuaq 4 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      Same

    • @Sammie1053
      @Sammie1053 4 ปีที่แล้ว +12

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

    • @BetaDude40
      @BetaDude40 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      *sameeeeee

  • @honkhonk9089
    @honkhonk9089 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    0:12 I remember how I was trying to get to the Slough station in London and didn’t know how to say it.

    • @user-pk9qo1gd6r
      @user-pk9qo1gd6r ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It's your fault for every having such a dumb idea as to try and get to Slough

  • @linguini1517
    @linguini1517 ปีที่แล้ว +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 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Was it a candidate for the cursed conlang circus?

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@kaengurus.sind.genossen yes

    • @pikchassis
      @pikchassis 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@linguini1517 what was it

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

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

  • @christeebs
    @christeebs 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1264

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

    • @asterism343
      @asterism343 4 ปีที่แล้ว +18

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

    • @elietheshark1497
      @elietheshark1497 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

  • @TheObamasMamas
    @TheObamasMamas 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1487

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

    • @vin-goldi
      @vin-goldi 4 ปีที่แล้ว +48

      Exactly what I was thinking!

    • @mina0rahman
      @mina0rahman 4 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Same.

    • @vojtechdubcak6135
      @vojtechdubcak6135 4 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +4

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

  • @astrovation3281
    @astrovation3281 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @Lpp360
    @Lpp360 9 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Wow man nice video.

  • @meisteraffe2239
    @meisteraffe2239 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1802

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

    • @khaitranngoc4176
      @khaitranngoc4176 2 ปีที่แล้ว +128

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

    • @inkanonymous3064
      @inkanonymous3064 2 ปีที่แล้ว +22

      EXACTLY I LITERALLY THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING!!!

    • @ewanhendry1106
      @ewanhendry1106 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @minecat1839
      @minecat1839 2 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      Agent P!!!!!

    • @kalebwingfield
      @kalebwingfield 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      wouldnt that be more uvular rather than velar?

  • @matthewthedford2041
    @matthewthedford2041 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5886

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

    • @BadenPOWER189
      @BadenPOWER189 2 ปีที่แล้ว +75

      accurate

    • @undyingUmbrage413
      @undyingUmbrage413 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +293

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

  • @indubitablyamy
    @indubitablyamy ปีที่แล้ว +2

    i might have done it wrong but the "velar trill" was really easy

  • @steakfilly5199
    @steakfilly5199 ปีที่แล้ว +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

  • @DoctorDex
    @DoctorDex 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1358

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

    • @NoahHornberger
      @NoahHornberger 4 ปีที่แล้ว +53

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

    • @raywilliams6717
      @raywilliams6717 4 ปีที่แล้ว +22

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

    • @lioraselby5328
      @lioraselby5328 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      What about the droid attack on the glottal laterals?

    • @graysongdl
      @graysongdl 4 ปีที่แล้ว +21

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

    • @ZeppelinBigFan
      @ZeppelinBigFan 4 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      I just wanted a beer.

  • @danbrew2487
    @danbrew2487 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1925

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

    • @salemsmith7085
      @salemsmith7085 4 ปีที่แล้ว +65

      Dan Brew brilliant

    • @cora5187
      @cora5187 4 ปีที่แล้ว +82

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

    • @JoshLeRose
      @JoshLeRose 4 ปีที่แล้ว +76

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

    • @Oddn7751
      @Oddn7751 4 ปีที่แล้ว +159

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

    • @635574
      @635574 4 ปีที่แล้ว +17

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

  • @niaj.2684
    @niaj.2684 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    great video!

  • @anwarmi2000
    @anwarmi2000 ปีที่แล้ว

    Very informative

  • @meilia7748
    @meilia7748 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +80

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

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist 2 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +13

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

  • @lumpwurtroot
    @lumpwurtroot 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1242

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +42

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

      Actually it’s kind of like an alveolar trill

    • @starrix4712
      @starrix4712 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      And I thought trills were only assigned to kitties

  • @s4yum1
    @s4yum1 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @valtteripennanen4043
    @valtteripennanen4043 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @DanielHarris171
    @DanielHarris171 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1811

    Fun fact: My wife’s grandparents worked as Bible translators in Brazil and discovered two phonemes which has never been used before in the indigenous language they were working with.

    • @SM-yz4hi
      @SM-yz4hi 2 ปีที่แล้ว +72

      that’s really cool! do you remember what they were?

    • @Inktron
      @Inktron 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      whaat

    • @lucianasoriagutierrez5593
      @lucianasoriagutierrez5593 2 ปีที่แล้ว +71

      That's so cool! Love to everyone who is translating the Bible to indigenous languages!!
      "The best missioner is the Bible in the native language. It doesn't need vacation and it isn't consider foreigner"Cameron Townsend

    • @JohnGisMe
      @JohnGisMe 2 ปีที่แล้ว +257

      I heard that someone translating the bible into a language used by a Pacific islander group had trouble translating the word "mountain" as the native population had never seen any.

    • @georgecabrera9039
      @georgecabrera9039 2 ปีที่แล้ว +101

      So you're parents are continuing the Spanish inquisition today🤔

  • @Kluneberg
    @Kluneberg 4 ปีที่แล้ว +137

    Pronouncing the grey boxes is how you summon Cthulhu and open portals to other dimensions.

    • @patrickreilly478
      @patrickreilly478 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      You know, you jest, but Lovecraft's preferred pronunciation of Cthulhu actually attempts to use a glottal trill, and sounds just awful...

    • @C28_Music
      @C28_Music 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      bios47 and with the black boxes, you can alter reality

    • @dreadcthulhu6842
      @dreadcthulhu6842 4 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yes, that is correct.

  • @OneTwoFive0
    @OneTwoFive0 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @CGlatz-bs4vo
    @CGlatz-bs4vo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

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

  • @statelyelms
    @statelyelms 2 ปีที่แล้ว +901

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

  • @ohifonlyx33
    @ohifonlyx33 3 ปีที่แล้ว +718

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

    • @drausino
      @drausino 3 ปีที่แล้ว +81

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

    • @Laeiryn
      @Laeiryn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +2

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

  • @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo
    @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo หลายเดือนก่อน

    this is so interesting to watch

  • @chrisakaschulbus4903
    @chrisakaschulbus4903 2 ปีที่แล้ว

    The one thing i notice but i never was really able to put into words was the sound that specific letters begin with. It's like spelling the letter B (bee) but when saying A it's like (_aa) or F (_eff).
    Also works for ÄÖÜ in german.

  • @Akovor_
    @Akovor_ 4 ปีที่แล้ว +1580

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

    • @xraptor10
      @xraptor10 4 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      I laughed out loud picturing this...

    • @Jayden3649
      @Jayden3649 4 ปีที่แล้ว +47

      @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 ปีที่แล้ว +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 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @Naomi-gr7fm
      @Naomi-gr7fm 4 ปีที่แล้ว +5

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

  • @henryrichard7619
    @henryrichard7619 3 ปีที่แล้ว +696

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

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

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

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @The Flying Dolphin better

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@kurzeme
      _non-pulmonic bilabial release time_

    • @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu
      @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

    • @eclipse-music
      @eclipse-music 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

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

  • @coldcanida
    @coldcanida 2 ปีที่แล้ว

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

  • @marlonschluga
    @marlonschluga 9 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Just talked me into trying the velar trill… it worked. Sounded like a literate snake.

  • @kenny7593
    @kenny7593 2 ปีที่แล้ว +520

    I want a video with all of the "possible, but unused" sounds being pronounced.

    • @ancients6498
      @ancients6498 ปีที่แล้ว +41

      I thought that was this video, I'm so disappointed

    • @artifactU
      @artifactU 10 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      i wish, but i doubt anyone currently alive iz able to do a palatal trill

    • @SuryaBudimansyah
      @SuryaBudimansyah 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Sounda like a TikTok challenge

  • @aisforamerica2185
    @aisforamerica2185 4 ปีที่แล้ว +3871

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

    • @TheDestructiveGiant
      @TheDestructiveGiant 4 ปีที่แล้ว +273

      It's not

    • @blueshoes5145
      @blueshoes5145 4 ปีที่แล้ว +44

      Where did you get that info from ?

    • @user-df4zw7yb4v
      @user-df4zw7yb4v 4 ปีที่แล้ว +333

      That's the noun form of the word "hiccup."

    • @the_biblioklept2533
      @the_biblioklept2533 4 ปีที่แล้ว +201

      Weeb Trash It objectivily is. Both varients are correct

    • @KingsleyIII
      @KingsleyIII 4 ปีที่แล้ว +261

      @A is for America: "Hiccough" is the British spelling.

  • @jumpvelocity3953
    @jumpvelocity3953 18 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    1:19 yes, it is rather hard to accurately transcribe Mandarin, for example. It needs its own specialized form of IPA, and even then it doesn’t fully capture the nuances, especially when transcribed by non-native speakers.

  • @felipematus3021
    @felipematus3021 ปีที่แล้ว

    Great video.