A labial–coronal consonant is a consonant produced with two simultaneous articulators: with the lips ('labial'; a pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/, or pronounced as /link/ sound), and with the tongue (at the teeth or gums, a 'dental' or 'alveolar' pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ or pronounced as /link/ sound, or further back, a 'post-alveolar' or 'retroflex' pronounced as /link/, pronounced as /link/ or pronounced as /link/ sound).
Several languages have been claimed to have such sounds, such as Margi and Bura in Nigeria. However, most researchers interpret them as having sequences of labial and coronal consonants, a rather common occurrence in Africa. The Yélî Dnye language[1] [2] of Rossel Island, Papua New Guinea, appears to be unique in having distinct laminal labial–alveolar (i.e. labial - denti-alveolar) and labial–retroflex (i.e. apical to sub-apical labial - postalveolar) places of articulation, as illustrated below.
| Stops in Yelî Dnye | Bilabial | Alveolar | Retroflex | Velar | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | pronounced as /paa/ | side | pronounced as /t̪aa/ | knife | pronounced as /ʈoo/ | tongue | pronounced as /kaa/ | spear | |
| Prenasalized stop | pronounced as /mbee/ | carry | pronounced as /n̪d̪e/ | food | pronounced as /ɳɖe/ | firewood | pronounced as /ŋɡaa/ | tree | |
| Nasal | pronounced as /maa/ | road | pronounced as /n̪ii/ | juice | pronounced as /ɳaa/ | feast | pronounced as /ŋa/ | lease | |
| Stops in Yelî Dnye | Labial–alveolar | Labial–retroflex | Labial–velar | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop | pronounced as /t̪͡pənə/ | lung | pronounced as /ʈ͡pənə/ | horn | pronounced as /k͡pene/ | coconut bag | |
| Prenasalized stop | pronounced as /n͡md̪͡boo/ | pulp | pronounced as /ɳ͡mɖ͡boo/ | many | pronounced as /ŋ͡mɡ͡bo/ | fog | |
| Nasal | pronounced as /n̪͡mo/ | bird | pronounced as /ɳ͡mo/ | we | pronounced as /ŋ͡mo/ | breast | |
In some Ghanaian languages such as Dagbani, and Nzema, there are palatalized allophones of labial–velars. These are sometimes mistakenly referred to as labial–alveolars, though they actually have a post-alveolar or palatal articulation instead of a true alveolar one.
Something similar is found with the labialized alveolar stops in several Northwest and Northeast Caucasian languages such as Abkhaz and Lak. Although the double stop articulation may be more common, they are generally considered to be essentially labialized alveolars because the labial contact is light, and moreover the contact is between the inner surfaces of the lips, which are protruded as they are for [w]. This is quite different from the normal contact for [p] in these languages. The labial contact may also be realized as a trill. Compare the following minimal sets in Ubykh:
| pronounced as /da/ | now | pronounced as /dʷa ~ d͡ba ~ d͡ʙa/ | awl | pronounced as /ba/ | if | |
| pronounced as /ta/ | pregnant | pronounced as /tʷa ~ t͡pa ~ t͡ʙ̥a/ | cherry | pronounced as /pa/ | to weave | |
| pronounced as /tʼə/ | ram | pronounced as /tʷʼə ~ t͡pʼə ~ t͡ʙ̥ʼə/ | to take out |
Some speakers of !Xóõ have a labial–dental allophone, pronounced as /[ʘ͡ǀ]/ (or pronounced as /[ʘ͡ʇ]/), of the bilabial click pronounced as /link/ in some cases (Traill 1985: 103–104).
Discounting clicks otherwise as having a velar/lingual airstream mechanism rather than a double articulation, nearly all other doubly articulated consonants in the world are labial–velars. The labial-alveolars reported from some Chadic languages have upon investigation turned out to be pronounced as //tp//, pronounced as //db//, pronounced as //nm// and pronounced as //dɓ// sequences, not single consonants. (See Margi language.)