The near-close back rounded vowel, or near-high back rounded vowel, is a type of vowel sound, used in some vocal languages. The IPA symbol that represents this sound is. It is informally called "horseshoe u". Prior to 1989, there was an alternate IPA symbol for this sound,, called "closed omega"; use of this symbol is no longer sanctioned by the IPA. In Americanist phonetic notation, the symbol is used. Sometimes, especially in broad transcription, this vowel is transcribed with a simpler symbol, which technically represents the close back rounded vowel. Handbook of the International Phonetic Association defines as a mid-centralized close back rounded vowel, and the current official IPA name of the vowel transcribed with the symbol is near-close near-back rounded vowel. However, some languages have the close-mid near-back rounded vowel, a vowel that is somewhat lower than the canonical value of, though it still fits the definition of a mid-centralized. It occurs in some dialects of English as well as some other languages. It can be transcribed with the symbol in narrow transcription. For the close-mid back rounded vowel that is not usually transcribed with the symbol , see close-mid back rounded vowel. In some other languages as well as some dialects of English there is a fully back near-close rounded vowel, which can be transcribed in IPA with, or. A few languages also have the near-close back unrounded vowel in their inventory.
The near-close back protruded vowel is typically transcribed in IPA simply as, and that is the convention used in this article. As there is no dedicated diacritic for protrusion in the IPA, symbol for the near-close back rounded vowel with an old diacritic for labialization,, can be used as an ad hoc symbol for the near-close back protruded vowel. Another possible transcription is or , but this could be misread as a diphthong. The close-mid near-back protruded vowel can be transcribed or, whereas the fully back near-close protruded vowel can be transcribed, or.
Features
Occurrence
Because back rounded vowels are assumed to have protrusion, and few descriptions cover the distinction, some of the following may actually have compression.
Some languages, such as Norwegian, are found with a near-close back vowel that has a distinct type of rounding, called compressed or exolabial. There is no dedicated diacritic for compression in the IPA. However, the compression of the lips can be shown with the letter as or . The spread-lip diacritic may also be used with a rounded vowel letter as an ad hoc symbol, though technically 'spread' means unrounded. Only the Shanghainese dialect is known to contrast this with the more typical protruded near-close back vowel, although the height of both of these vowels varies from close to close-mid. The fully back variant of the near-close compressed vowel can be transcribed, or.
