= Affricate
An <affricate> is a <consonant> with a complete closure followed by a fricated release, treated as one coordinated sound in the analysis of a <language>. It combines a stop-like beginning with turbulence during release. This <manner of articulation> differs from a freely combined <consonant cluster> containing a <plosive> and a <fricative>.<Essentials of Linguistics (2nd edition) by Catherine Anderson and others>[§3.4, Affricates, closure and fricated release]{ref}
English `jet` begins with the <affricate> `[d͡ʒ]`; `chair` begins with `[t͡ʃ]`. The tie in these transcriptions signals the intended grouping. A recording can reveal the closure and following frication, but those phases alone do not settle whether a language organizes the sound as one unit or two. Contrasts, distribution and articulatory coordination provide further evidence. Counting written letters is especially unreliable: the two letters `ch` can represent one <affricate>.
Back to article page