Glottalized Stops: p’, t’ , kw’, q’, qw’

Glottalized Sounds

Glottalized sounds are made by combining a consonant and a glottal stop. For example, p, t, kw, q, and qw can all be glottalized. We will write glottalized sounds by putting the sign for the glottal stop (’) after the letter or letters: p’, t’ , kw’, q’, and qw’.
To make a glottalized sound, for example a p’, say a p and at the same time briefly close the glottis. When you release the glottis, the air trapped behind it will rush out, so the p’ will sound “popped”. Here are some examples of words with initial glottalized consonants:

	‘to swell’
	‘to sing’
	‘to be ripe’

A glottalized sound is thought of by Hul’q’umi’num’ speakers as being totally different from the corresponding plain sound. The t and t’ in ten “mother” and t’en “go out of sight” are as different in Hul’q’umi’num’ as the t and d in ten and den are in English.

p’

	‘to swell’
	‘to overflow’
	‘flounder’
	‘bread’
	‘to eat soup’
	‘to come to the surface of the water’

Quiz: Listening Practice – p and p’

Listen, then fill in the missing sounds.

This quiz is composed of 11 fill-in-the-blank questions. Determine if the word is completed by a p or p’.

t’

	‘to go out of sight’
	‘to sing’
	‘to swim’
	‘wild cherry’
	‘wall’
	‘herring’

Quiz: Listening Practice – t and t’

Listen, then fill in the missing sounds.

This quiz is composed of 8 fill-in-the-blank questions. Determine if the word is completed by a t or t’.

kw’

	‘to be hungry’
	‘to spill’
	‘to get burnt’
	‘chiton, China slipper’
	‘to come or go home’
	‘grizzly bear’

Quiz: Listening Practice – kw and kw’

Listen, then fill in the missing sounds.

This quiz is composed of 14 fill-in-the-blank questions. Determine if the word is completed by a kw or kw’.

q’

	‘to be sick’
	‘to die’
	‘to meet each other’
	‘to get infected’
	‘to be knotted’
	‘to be bitten’
	‘orca’
	‘maple tree’
	‘bow of boat’
	‘flower’
	‘knee’