Voiced velar approximant

A voiced velar approximant is a type of consonantal sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is ⟨ɰ⟩. In order to not imply that the approximant is spread as the vowel [ɯ] is, it may instead be transcribed ⟨ɣ̞⟩ or ⟨ɣ᫛⟩ (or ⟨ɣ˕⟩, which is now dated). This is the symbol of the voiced velar fricative ⟨ɣ⟩ with a lowering diacritic.

This consonant is absent from English, but may be approximated by making [ɡ] but with the tongue body lowered or [w] but with the lips apart. The voiced velar approximant can in many cases be considered the semivocalic counterpart of the close back unrounded vowel [ɯ]. ⟨ɰ⟩ and ⟨ɯ̯⟩ with the non-syllabic diacritic are used in different transcription systems to represent the same sound.

In some languages, such as Spanish, a voiced velar approximant is an allophone of /ɡ/ – see below.

For a voiced post-palatal approximant—sometimes also described as a voiced pre-velar approximant—which is more fronted in the place of articulation than a prototypical velar approximant, see Voiced palatal approximant § Post-palatal.