The Language Sounds That Could Exist, But Don't

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  • Опубликовано: 1 сен 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
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    🇬🇧 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)
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Комментарии • 10 тыс.

  • @TomScottGo
    @TomScottGo  4 года назад +11924

    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 года назад +164

      Pls more language files in future 🙏🙏

    • @ResilientVulture
      @ResilientVulture 4 года назад +140

      3 weeks ago? Someone explain this please thanks

    • @lunaraine
      @lunaraine 4 года назад +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 года назад +56

      Next video - Languages that exist but shouldn't

    • @TotoDG
      @TotoDG 4 года назад +13

      A’ight, see ya in three years.

  • @boeman6702
    @boeman6702 3 года назад +16127

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

    • @Balou
      @Balou 3 года назад +525

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

    • @AlohaFourpeaks_
      @AlohaFourpeaks_ 3 года назад +31

      +111

    • @Guilhermetwc
      @Guilhermetwc 3 года назад +150

      @@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 года назад +245

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

    • @Rinkerbro
      @Rinkerbro 3 года назад +152

      I just made the predator sound

  • @carrotmandoespixelmon1296
    @carrotmandoespixelmon1296 4 года назад +14494

    “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 года назад +117

      Same

    • @phs125
      @phs125 4 года назад +317

      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 года назад +192

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

    • @Concretizer
      @Concretizer 4 года назад +44

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

    • @shitinsahu2267
      @shitinsahu2267 4 года назад +39

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

  • @ViceroyoftheDiptera
    @ViceroyoftheDiptera 2 года назад +452

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

    • @jhonbus
      @jhonbus Год назад +9

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

    • @myhlosic
      @myhlosic Год назад +24

      ​@@jhonbus i literally cannot read this

    • @sarcasticmoray6648
      @sarcasticmoray6648 11 месяцев назад +5

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

    • @nadirhikmetkuleli7335
      @nadirhikmetkuleli7335 10 месяцев назад +5

      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 месяцев назад

      That definitely makes sense 🤔.

  • @phylk4683
    @phylk4683 2 года назад +729

    My parents are actually linguists and phoneticists and they always say to me “haaaarrrr kkkkk ha! Ooooowwwaaallllah qah-zah-blahc-kaaaahhh! At 2pm”.
    Always brings a tear to my eye if I’m being honest.

    • @missingtexturez
      @missingtexturez 2 года назад +20

      Kinda wanna hear that

    • @phylk4683
      @phylk4683 2 года назад +24

      @@missingtexturez its definitely special

    • @charvie1147
      @charvie1147 2 года назад +68

      Looks like a google meet code

    • @kcufbla
      @kcufbla 2 года назад +18

      Is that Klingon?

    • @astrobiojoe7283
      @astrobiojoe7283 Год назад +21

      You're Cardi B's child?

  • @loopiloop
    @loopiloop 4 года назад +13611

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

    • @evilelf6188
      @evilelf6188 4 года назад +792

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

    • @DerWaschbar2
      @DerWaschbar2 4 года назад +773

      You mean what's expected from the title?

    • @TheBrokenSolstice
      @TheBrokenSolstice 4 года назад +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 года назад +34

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

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 года назад +10

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

  • @BurazSC2
    @BurazSC2 3 года назад +5247

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

    • @bee4622
      @bee4622 3 года назад +130

      Thats literally throwing up tho 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 года назад +286

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

    • @malachiwilliams4938
      @malachiwilliams4938 3 года назад +25

      @Yokai369 Oh, that’s good.

    • @JulianDanzerHAL9001
      @JulianDanzerHAL9001 3 года назад +24

      you could do a glottal lateral approximant - with some help

    • @nathanfryar3773
      @nathanfryar3773 3 года назад +9

      I immediately tried

  • @williamjones7163
    @williamjones7163 Год назад +672

    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 месяцев назад +22

      Spanish is very easy to read, but has more words

    • @koalaunknown
      @koalaunknown 10 месяцев назад +46

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

    • @luxraider5384
      @luxraider5384 10 месяцев назад +6

      spanish is very easy.

    • @julianburke7225
      @julianburke7225 8 месяцев назад +1

      @@luxraider5384yeah

    • @_fedmar_
      @_fedmar_ 8 месяцев назад +9

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

  • @dilldoe1492
    @dilldoe1492 2 года назад +136

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

    • @dilgeatakan9366
      @dilgeatakan9366 4 месяца назад +3

      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 4 дня назад

      My head is spinning

  • @lonestarr1490
    @lonestarr1490 4 года назад +12562

    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 года назад +692

      sounds like a lot of fun

    • @cogithefool4284
      @cogithefool4284 4 года назад +763

      You definitely haven't attended a phonetics class then.

    • @Flobbled
      @Flobbled 4 года назад +418

      There's a party game hidden here...

    • @christianwetzel2199
      @christianwetzel2199 4 года назад +123

      @@Flobbled or a big bang theory episode

    • @cenedra20
      @cenedra20 4 года назад +278

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

  • @susmitislam1910
    @susmitislam1910 3 года назад +7087

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

    • @georgiangelov13
      @georgiangelov13 3 года назад +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 года назад +53

      A periodic table of sounds 😜

    • @BidwellRunner
      @BidwellRunner 3 года назад +54

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

    • @nayaland9115
      @nayaland9115 3 года назад +11

      Oh wow
      I never thought of it that way

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 года назад +14

      Affricates are molecules ... ?

  • @shangerdanger
    @shangerdanger Год назад +83

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

    • @derekschmidt5705
      @derekschmidt5705 6 месяцев назад +9

      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 4 месяца назад +1

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

    • @quintonconoly
      @quintonconoly 3 месяца назад

      How so many subs

  • @mder3a
    @mder3a Год назад +46

    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.

  • @almostfm
    @almostfm 3 года назад +15639

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

    • @wesleymays1931
      @wesleymays1931 3 года назад +3599

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

    • @Somnogenesis
      @Somnogenesis 3 года назад +1029

      @@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 года назад +302

      Wth is bologna

    • @macaroon_nuggets8008
      @macaroon_nuggets8008 3 года назад +616

      @@Q75 Some weird processed meat.

    • @Q75
      @Q75 3 года назад +54

      @@macaroon_nuggets8008 ok

  • @sleepyLili
    @sleepyLili 4 года назад +25593

    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 года назад +1072

      Come on! Brbrbrbrbr! We know you want to!

    • @EmeraldMinotaur
      @EmeraldMinotaur 4 года назад +903

      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 года назад +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 года назад +942

      @@b3z3jm3nny So silence then?

    • @safebox36
      @safebox36 4 года назад +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.

  • @PaulNDeputy
    @PaulNDeputy 11 месяцев назад +9

    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 года назад +20

    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.

  • @JohnFoley1701
    @JohnFoley1701 3 года назад +5822

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

    • @horstherbert35
      @horstherbert35 3 года назад +274

      glottal lateral is basically what death metal vocalists do

    • @BierBart12
      @BierBart12 3 года назад +63

      @@horstherbert35 RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW

    • @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417
      @mr.flibblessumeriantransla5417 3 года назад +193

      @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 года назад +30

      Make sure it’s a red shirt

    • @rathole36
      @rathole36 3 года назад +2

      Same-

  • @tiggysheppard3170
    @tiggysheppard3170 3 года назад +4225

    Them: “Velar Trill is impossible”
    Chewbacca: GRGRGRGRGRGRG

    • @ashrose6946
      @ashrose6946 3 года назад +93

      who needs English when you have Shyriiwook?

    • @hellcrafter5965
      @hellcrafter5965 3 года назад +144

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

    • @tiggysheppard3170
      @tiggysheppard3170 3 года назад +31

      @@hellcrafter5965 I honestly have no clue 😂

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 года назад +70

      @@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 года назад +6

      for humans...

  • @shadow8005
    @shadow8005 7 месяцев назад +13

    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

  • @sadiesavanna8369
    @sadiesavanna8369 2 года назад +5

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

    • @amiga2025
      @amiga2025 2 года назад

      this is how you raise demons.

  • @TheManWithTheFlan
    @TheManWithTheFlan 3 года назад +17098

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

    • @telloy9467
      @telloy9467 3 года назад +236

      Nice!

    • @mixtlillness9825
      @mixtlillness9825 3 года назад +1361

      That must’ve been tough.

    • @charlene.w.6124
      @charlene.w.6124 3 года назад +86

      niceee one

    • @Jason-re4dw
      @Jason-re4dw 2 года назад +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 года назад +99

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

  • @HakureiReimuOfficial
    @HakureiReimuOfficial 3 года назад +2784

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

    • @E4439Qv5
      @E4439Qv5 3 года назад +153

      **Seinfeld theme**

    • @ShufTheXD
      @ShufTheXD 3 года назад +113

      **credits rolling**

    • @leerye2227
      @leerye2227 3 года назад +102

      **some laughing in the background**

    • @xtremefps_
      @xtremefps_ 3 года назад +14

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

    • @StormTheSquid
      @StormTheSquid 3 года назад +48

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

  • @vitonildo
    @vitonildo 2 года назад

    One of the most interesting videos I ever watched in RUclips. Thanks, Tom.

  • @crayolasun
    @crayolasun Год назад +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 Год назад

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

  • @kitioppa
    @kitioppa 4 года назад +4942

    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 года назад +446

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

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 года назад +62

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

    • @fpsgod3028
      @fpsgod3028 4 года назад +18

      @@larsatticus6807 youre actually dumb

    • @Wigalot
      @Wigalot 4 года назад +20

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

    • @colefrazier4371
      @colefrazier4371 4 года назад +47

      @@Wigalot we wanted to hear them

  • @JoaquinMartinezKeen
    @JoaquinMartinezKeen 4 года назад +6092

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

    • @jamyreaf
      @jamyreaf 3 года назад +35

      @@piggyzig ok... where

    • @sophiaw8177
      @sophiaw8177 3 года назад +369

      I feel like im missing a reply...

    • @rdaisydraws
      @rdaisydraws 3 года назад +140

      You could always try pink trombone

    • @alexandrei8275
      @alexandrei8275 3 года назад +50

      @@rdaisydraws ah, yes the pink trombone

    • @mohdkhairi7591
      @mohdkhairi7591 3 года назад +58

      That why dubstep come in

  • @caroleanderson4020
    @caroleanderson4020 2 года назад

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

  • @pineappleisthebest8768
    @pineappleisthebest8768 Год назад

    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

  • @YellowBunny
    @YellowBunny 4 года назад +1511

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

    • @sorenkair
      @sorenkair 4 года назад +17

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

    • @craideus1943
      @craideus1943 4 года назад +3

      Bless you

    • @Asidders
      @Asidders 4 года назад +2

      Danes.

    • @Tondadrd
      @Tondadrd 4 года назад +6

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

    • @generrosity
      @generrosity 4 года назад +3

      (gargle gargle)

  • @martijnvanweele6204
    @martijnvanweele6204 3 года назад +8693

    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 года назад +1195

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

    • @cheesecakelasagna
      @cheesecakelasagna 3 года назад +266

      @@Majima_Nowhere This but unironically.

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 года назад +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 года назад +264

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

    • @colorfulchameleon9891
      @colorfulchameleon9891 3 года назад +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.

  • @ayskura1076
    @ayskura1076 Год назад +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.

  • @Samiju
    @Samiju 2 года назад

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

  • @randoiguess
    @randoiguess 2 года назад +4961

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

  • @phillipsandgren3094
    @phillipsandgren3094 4 года назад +2017

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

    • @quadpad_music
      @quadpad_music 4 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +40

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

    • @compulsivecommenter990
      @compulsivecommenter990 4 года назад +6

      That would be a ʀa and a qa

    • @nuxapower
      @nuxapower 3 года назад

      @@quadpad_music Palatal Trill

  • @GigaAndy
    @GigaAndy 2 года назад

    Really interesting video thanks Tom.

  • @miztahrayeproductions2942
    @miztahrayeproductions2942 2 года назад

    So glad this was suggested to me. Subscribed immediately.

  • @jaewok5G
    @jaewok5G 4 года назад +2560

    "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 года назад +100

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

    • @ChasMusic
      @ChasMusic 4 года назад +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 года назад +3

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

    • @emilwibergh1014
      @emilwibergh1014 4 года назад +10

      Basically Danish.

    • @spencer6580
      @spencer6580 4 года назад +4

      This is the best comment in youtube history

  • @gccwang24
    @gccwang24 3 года назад +822

    - 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 года назад +7

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

    • @user-zl1fx3lw9c
      @user-zl1fx3lw9c 3 года назад +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 года назад +2

      @Alexander Nawrot moo

  • @MuMulen100
    @MuMulen100 2 года назад +3

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

  • @reimandume9107
    @reimandume9107 2 года назад

    Much appreciated Sir

  • @AlexBrown9635
    @AlexBrown9635 2 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +32

      You mean like clicks or ejectives?

    • @notablediscomfort
      @notablediscomfort 2 года назад +40

      [laughs in deathcore]

    • @user-mv9vg8nc5o
      @user-mv9vg8nc5o 2 года назад +9

      Liked for the marvel reference

  • @abolishgender3240
    @abolishgender3240 2 года назад +9119

    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 года назад +847

      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 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +195

      "OMG tom was that a pharyngeal plosive? 😍"

    • @zjmullan
      @zjmullan 2 года назад +6

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

  • @aggersoul23
    @aggersoul23 2 года назад +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 _-_

  • @foolyboi2640
    @foolyboi2640 2 года назад +2

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

  • @Brockohliflower
    @Brockohliflower 4 года назад +1640

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

  • @Ryutix
    @Ryutix 4 года назад +1337

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

    • @alphamoonman
      @alphamoonman 4 года назад +45

      Comedy genius

    • @lewisbaitup6352
      @lewisbaitup6352 3 года назад +27

      Its like a disturbed snake

    • @AnasHart
      @AnasHart 3 года назад +9

      Minecraft spiders lmao

    • @Elias-hm7we
      @Elias-hm7we 3 года назад +7

      Vampire hiss

    • @keyesey0796
      @keyesey0796 3 года назад +5

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

  • @kishanikent964
    @kishanikent964 2 года назад

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

  • @73hhK41
    @73hhK41 2 года назад +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).

  • @elietheshark1497
    @elietheshark1497 4 года назад +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 года назад +5

      That would be hilarious!

    • @sherbatt4769
      @sherbatt4769 3 года назад +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 года назад +2

      @@sherbatt4769 I laughed

    • @adararelgnel2695
      @adararelgnel2695 3 года назад

      @@sherbatt4769 omg 😂😂😭

  • @j.surnamez3588
    @j.surnamez3588 2 года назад +1733

    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 года назад +111

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

    • @nemui9654
      @nemui9654 2 года назад +78

      *accidentally summons demons*

    • @Anonymous-df8it
      @Anonymous-df8it 2 года назад +41

      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 года назад +38

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

    • @bearcubdaycare
      @bearcubdaycare 2 года назад +4

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

  • @almosthuman4457
    @almosthuman4457 7 месяцев назад

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

  • @Term-0
    @Term-0 6 месяцев назад

    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 года назад +2891

    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."

  • @thomasmelbournemusic4182
    @thomasmelbournemusic4182 4 года назад +4041

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

    • @utetopia1620
      @utetopia1620 4 года назад +232

      Only possible in the fifth dimension.

    • @blastodermis
      @blastodermis 4 года назад +306

      It'll be speaking the language of gods

    • @S0up3rD0up3r99
      @S0up3rD0up3r99 4 года назад +218

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

    • @KuraSourTakanHour
      @KuraSourTakanHour 4 года назад +150

      I think this is a Job for AI generated speech

    • @larsatticus6807
      @larsatticus6807 4 года назад +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.

  • @SteveJones313
    @SteveJones313 8 месяцев назад +2

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

  • @gomezfriesen
    @gomezfriesen 3 года назад +3709

    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 года назад +69

      Me too

    • @figgynewton5664
      @figgynewton5664 2 года назад +85

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

    • @ellasedits_
      @ellasedits_ 2 года назад +107

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

    • @ursulap.6722
      @ursulap.6722 2 года назад +102

      Seriously, I feel clickbaited :-/

    • @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms
      @GiraffeFlavoredCondoms 2 года назад +14

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

  • @jeremy1392
    @jeremy1392 4 года назад +1083

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

    • @Daelyah
      @Daelyah 3 года назад +36

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

    • @anthonyt4154
      @anthonyt4154 3 года назад +26

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

    • @Alchemy818.
      @Alchemy818. 3 года назад +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 года назад +13

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

    • @obviativ123
      @obviativ123 3 года назад

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

  • @anwarmi2000
    @anwarmi2000 Год назад

    Very informative

  • @dannahbanana11235
    @dannahbanana11235 7 месяцев назад +1

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

  • @CaptainMorghan4152
    @CaptainMorghan4152 2 года назад +18977

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

    • @breadispain454
      @breadispain454 2 года назад +2961

      No

    • @thatoneasian5660
      @thatoneasian5660 2 года назад +8277

      @@breadispain454 mans straight up declined the idea

    • @CaptainMorghan4152
      @CaptainMorghan4152 2 года назад +850

      @@breadispain454 yes

    • @kjarakravik4837
      @kjarakravik4837 2 года назад +1662

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

    • @MrNikeNicke
      @MrNikeNicke 2 года назад +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.

  • @TheObamasMamas
    @TheObamasMamas 4 года назад +1487

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

    • @vin-goldi
      @vin-goldi 4 года назад +48

      Exactly what I was thinking!

    • @mina0rahman
      @mina0rahman 4 года назад +10

      Same.

    • @vojtechdubcak6135
      @vojtechdubcak6135 4 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +4

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

  • @Lpp360
    @Lpp360 8 месяцев назад +1

    Wow man nice video.

  • @niaj.2684
    @niaj.2684 2 года назад

    great video!

  • @KyleJMitchell
    @KyleJMitchell 4 года назад +2382

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

    • @Narsuaq
      @Narsuaq 4 года назад +14

      Same

    • @Sammie1053
      @Sammie1053 4 года назад +12

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

    • @BetaDude40
      @BetaDude40 4 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +8

      *sameeeeee

  • @DoctorDex
    @DoctorDex 4 года назад +1358

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

    • @NoahHornberger
      @NoahHornberger 4 года назад +53

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

    • @raywilliams6717
      @raywilliams6717 4 года назад +22

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

    • @lioraselby5328
      @lioraselby5328 4 года назад +26

      What about the droid attack on the glottal laterals?

    • @graysongdl
      @graysongdl 4 года назад +21

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

    • @ZeppelinBigFan
      @ZeppelinBigFan 4 года назад +8

      I just wanted a beer.

  • @MaddieFishblob
    @MaddieFishblob Год назад +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 Год назад

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

    • @thevalarauka101
      @thevalarauka101 8 месяцев назад +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

  • @s4yum1
    @s4yum1 2 года назад

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

  • @meisteraffe2239
    @meisteraffe2239 2 года назад +1801

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

    • @khaitranngoc4176
      @khaitranngoc4176 2 года назад +128

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

    • @inkanonymous3064
      @inkanonymous3064 2 года назад +22

      EXACTLY I LITERALLY THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING!!!

    • @ewanhendry1106
      @ewanhendry1106 2 года назад +8

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

    • @minecat1839
      @minecat1839 2 года назад +9

      Agent P!!!!!

    • @kalebwingfield
      @kalebwingfield 2 года назад +13

      wouldnt that be more uvular rather than velar?

  • @danbrew2487
    @danbrew2487 4 года назад +1925

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

    • @salemsmith7085
      @salemsmith7085 4 года назад +65

      Dan Brew brilliant

    • @cora5187
      @cora5187 4 года назад +82

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

    • @JoshLeRose
      @JoshLeRose 4 года назад +76

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

    • @Oddn7751
      @Oddn7751 4 года назад +159

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

    • @635574
      @635574 4 года назад +17

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

  • @toni7808
    @toni7808 2 года назад

    I’ve always thought about other letters so thank you

  • @steakfilly5199
    @steakfilly5199 Год назад +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

  • @ohifonlyx33
    @ohifonlyx33 3 года назад +718

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

    • @drausino
      @drausino 3 года назад +81

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

    • @Laeiryn
      @Laeiryn 3 года назад +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 года назад +2

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

  • @christeebs
    @christeebs 4 года назад +1264

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

    • @asterism343
      @asterism343 4 года назад +18

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

    • @elietheshark1497
      @elietheshark1497 4 года назад +8

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

  • @astrovation3281
    @astrovation3281 2 года назад

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

  • @felipematus3021
    @felipematus3021 Год назад

    Great video.

  • @meilia7748
    @meilia7748 2 года назад +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 года назад +80

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

    • @beth12svist
      @beth12svist 2 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +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 года назад +13

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

  • @AdeleiTeillana
    @AdeleiTeillana 4 года назад +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 года назад +52

      Well that's what u get for being homeschooled

    • @alejrandom6592
      @alejrandom6592 4 года назад +16

      do it yourself

    • @Liamhvet
      @Liamhvet 4 года назад +136

      @@bradbradlylife9918 i dont like you

    • @nottoofast
      @nottoofast 4 года назад +34

      @@bradbradlylife9918 I also don't like you

    • @bradbradlylife9918
      @bradbradlylife9918 4 года назад +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 🏄

  • @sol_mental
    @sol_mental 2 года назад

    This video is too precious

  • @linguini1517
    @linguini1517 Год назад +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 месяцев назад +1

      Was it a candidate for the cursed conlang circus?

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 7 месяцев назад +1

      @@kaengurus.sind.genossen yes

    • @pikchassis
      @pikchassis 6 месяцев назад

      @@linguini1517 what was it

    • @linguini1517
      @linguini1517 6 месяцев назад

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

  • @stludachris
    @stludachris 4 года назад +2160

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

    • @Perseus3248M
      @Perseus3248M 4 года назад +208

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

    • @EmpireAntz
      @EmpireAntz 4 года назад +29

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

    • @DnKmagic
      @DnKmagic 4 года назад +66

      Hold my IPA*

    • @bingbonghafu
      @bingbonghafu 4 года назад +10

      You can definitely pronounce that

    • @thegamingempire7746
      @thegamingempire7746 4 года назад +10

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

  • @lumpwurtroot
    @lumpwurtroot 3 года назад +1242

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 года назад +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 года назад +42

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 года назад +25

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

    • @goldeviolets4314
      @goldeviolets4314 3 года назад +20

      Actually it’s kind of like an alveolar trill

    • @starrix4712
      @starrix4712 3 года назад +3

      And I thought trills were only assigned to kitties

  • @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo
    @user-xiaoyaoniangwangbo 29 дней назад

    this is so interesting to watch

  • @honkhonk9089
    @honkhonk9089 Год назад +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 Год назад +1

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

  • @Kluneberg
    @Kluneberg 4 года назад +137

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

    • @patrickreilly478
      @patrickreilly478 4 года назад +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 года назад

      bios47 and with the black boxes, you can alter reality

    • @dreadcthulhu6842
      @dreadcthulhu6842 4 года назад

      Yes, that is correct.

  • @henryrichard7619
    @henryrichard7619 3 года назад +696

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

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 года назад +7

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

    • @kurzeme
      @kurzeme 3 года назад

      @The Flying Dolphin better

    • @ferociousfeind8538
      @ferociousfeind8538 3 года назад +1

      @@kurzeme
      _non-pulmonic bilabial release time_

    • @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu
      @AbdulHaseeb-ze7pu 3 года назад +8

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

    • @eclipse-music
      @eclipse-music 3 года назад +8

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

  • @moonbyme
    @moonbyme Год назад +16

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

    • @christopherperez9845
      @christopherperez9845 10 месяцев назад

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

  • @valtteripennanen4043
    @valtteripennanen4043 Год назад

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

  • @natalya8988
    @natalya8988 3 года назад +560

    Him: “These sounds are impossible”
    Everyone: KGHKGHFKFJFHDJFJHH

    • @philip8498
      @philip8498 3 года назад +14

      how many people just straight up died trying these sounds?

    • @erikmensinga
      @erikmensinga 3 года назад +3

      @@philip8498 oh no

  • @phosphoros60
    @phosphoros60 3 года назад +424

    Tom: "A velar thrill is judged impossible. By all means, try it!"
    me: *chokes

    • @jamielonsdale3018
      @jamielonsdale3018 3 года назад +21

      Rolling a G is uncomfortable, but not impossible. Before you try it, get a towel or something because when you succeed saliva will go flying everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE.

    • @rareblue9543
      @rareblue9543 3 года назад +9

      @@jamielonsdale3018 I tried this without a towel...
      *regret*

    • @douglasrobles-thome7321
      @douglasrobles-thome7321 3 года назад +3

      @@jamielonsdale3018 Isn't this the sound that you make in french when you say Croi or Sacre?

    • @KarasuInaiga
      @KarasuInaiga 3 года назад

      *trill

    • @wesleymays1931
      @wesleymays1931 3 года назад

      Chewbacca noises

  • @lightning_11
    @lightning_11 2 года назад +1

    0:00 - "English spelling is a mess"
    You have just summarized all my pain for the last two years...

  • @samuelt8602
    @samuelt8602 Год назад

    just happened to stumble onto this video again after finishing because internet, what a coincidence

  • @Akovor_
    @Akovor_ 4 года назад +1580

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

    • @xraptor10
      @xraptor10 4 года назад +26

      I laughed out loud picturing this...

    • @Jayden3649
      @Jayden3649 4 года назад +48

      @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 года назад +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 года назад +7

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

    • @Naomi-gr7fm
      @Naomi-gr7fm 4 года назад +5

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

  • @statelyelms
    @statelyelms 2 года назад +901

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

  • @aleksandrnestrato
    @aleksandrnestrato 2 года назад

    5:04 Tried. It is possible. Voiced one is way easier than the unvoiced one.
    Reminded me a kinda palatalised or softened version of the Uvular trill.

  • @mattiaslindberg
    @mattiaslindberg Год назад

    Amazing, never knew this existed

  • @marbleracingstudios9552
    @marbleracingstudios9552 2 года назад +983

    Let’s be real. We all tried to make every sound that was deemed “impossible”

    • @iwbmo
      @iwbmo 2 года назад +4

      i couldnt think up how

    • @emilys1418
      @emilys1418 2 года назад +18

      I ended up making gargling noises for most of them

    • @crazywyvern4704
      @crazywyvern4704 2 года назад +6

      I don’t know if I’m doing it right but I think I can make the L sound in my throat, I’m probably just stupid though

    • @natekurz4029
      @natekurz4029 2 года назад +2

      In Hebrew we use the chhh sound

    • @thelocalnecromancer1224
      @thelocalnecromancer1224 2 года назад +4

      I didn't. I simply didn't understand how any of it worked.

  • @aisforamerica2185
    @aisforamerica2185 4 года назад +3872

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

    • @TheDestructiveGiant
      @TheDestructiveGiant 4 года назад +273

      It's not

    • @blueshoes5145
      @blueshoes5145 4 года назад +44

      Where did you get that info from ?

    • @user-df4zw7yb4v
      @user-df4zw7yb4v 4 года назад +333

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

    • @the_biblioklept2533
      @the_biblioklept2533 4 года назад +201

      Weeb Trash It objectivily is. Both varients are correct

    • @KingsleyIII
      @KingsleyIII 4 года назад +261

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

  • @heylooka
    @heylooka 8 месяцев назад

    Question: how do you make the blank spots and check if thats actually what they would sound like? also would it be too unreasonable to include a blank spot in a conlang or smthing?

  • @imawatermelon1439
    @imawatermelon1439 5 месяцев назад +2

    Imagine aliens come to earth and only speak in a language with words that are impossible for us to pronounce and they can’t pronounce our words. 😂