Close-mid back rounded vowel
Template:Short description Template:Infobox IPA Template:IPA vowels
The close-mid back rounded vowel, or high-mid back rounded vowel,<ref>Template:Vowel terminology</ref> is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is Template:Angbr IPA.
Close-mid back protruded vowel
The close-mid back protruded vowel is the most common variant of the close-mid back rounded vowel. It is typically transcribed in IPA simply as Template:Angbr IPA, and that is the convention used in this article. As there is no dedicated diacritic for protrusion in the IPA, the symbol for the close-mid back rounded vowel with an old diacritic for labialization, Template:Angbr IPA, can be used as an ad hoc symbol Template:Angbr IPA for the close-mid back protruded vowel. Another possible transcription is Template:Angbr IPA or Template:Angbr IPA (a close-mid back vowel modified by endolabialization), but this could be misread as a diphthong.
In English, the symbol Template:Angbr IPA is typically associated with the vowel in the "goat", but in Received Pronunciation and General American, that vowel is a diphthong whose starting point may be unrounded and more centered than Template:IPA.
For the close-mid near-back protruded vowel that is usually transcribed with the symbol Template:Angbr IPA, see near-close back protruded vowel. If the usual symbol is Template:Angbr IPA, the vowel is listed here.
Features
Template:Close-mid vowel Template:Back vowel Template:Velar Template:Protruded vowel

Occurrence
Because back rounded vowels are assumed to have protrusion, and few descriptions cover the distinction, some of the following may actually have compression.
Close-mid back compressed vowel
As there are no diacritics in the IPA to distinguish protruded and compressed rounding, an old diacritic for labialization, Template:Angbr IPA (the opposite of Template:Angbr IPA), will be used here as an ad hoc symbol for compressed back vowels. It was only added to Unicode in 2025, however, and it may take some time for font support to catch up. Compression of the lips can be shown with the letter Template:IPAalink as Template:Angbr IPA (simultaneous Template:IPA and labial compression) or Template:Angbr IPA (Template:IPA modified with labial compression), though that can suggest that the vowel is a diphthong.
Only Wu Chinese is known to contrast it with the more typical protruded (endolabial) close-mid back vowel, but the height of both vowels varies from close to close-mid.Template:Sfnp
Features
Template:Close-mid vowel Template:Back vowel Template:Velar Template:Compressed vowel
Occurrence
| Language | Word | IPA | Meaning | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wu Chinese | ShanghaineseTemplate:Sfnp | Template:Lang / Template:Transliteration | Template:IPA | 'capital' | Specifically in Shanghainese. Height varies between close and close-mid; contrasts with a close to close-mid back protruded vowel.Template:Sfnp |
Notes
References
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