Editing Balochi language (section)

== Phonology ==
=== Vowels ===
The Balochi vowel system has at least eight vowels: five [[Vowel length|long]] and three [[Vowel length|short]].<ref>{{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}. {{harvnb|Serge|2006}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} These are {{IPA|/aː/}}, {{IPA|/eː/}}, {{IPA|/iː/}}, {{IPA|/oː/}}, {{IPA|/uː/}}, {{IPA|/a/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}}. The short vowels have more [[Relative articulation#Centralized|centralized]] phonetic quality than the long vowels. The variety spoken in [[Karachi]] also has nasalized vowels, most importantly {{IPA|/ẽː/}} and {{IPA|/ãː/}}.<ref>{{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} In addition to these eight vowels, Balochi has two vowel glides, that is /aw/ and /aj/.<ref name=":0" />

=== Consonants ===
The following table shows consonants which are common to both Western (Northern) and Southern Balochi.<ref>{{harvnb|Serge|2006}}. {{harvnb|Farrell|1990}}.</ref>{{Page needed|date=January 2020}} The consonants /s/, /z/, /n/, /ɾ/ and /l/ are articulated as [[Alveolar consonant|alveolar]] in Western Balochi. The plosives /t/ and /d/ are dental in both dialects. The symbol ń is used to denote [[nasalization]] of the preceding [[vowel]].<ref name=":0" />

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! colspan="2" |
! [[Labial consonant|Labial]]
! [[Dental consonant|Dental]]/<br>[[Alveolar consonant|Alveolar]]
! [[Retroflex consonant|Retroflex]]
! [[Palatal consonant|Palatal]]
! [[Velar consonant|Velar]]
! [[Glottal consonant|Glottal]]
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Plosive]]/<br />[[Affricate]]
!{{small|voiceless}}
| {{IPA link|p}}
|{{IPA link|t̪|t}}
| {{IPA link|ʈ}}
| {{IPA link|t͡ʃ}}
| {{IPA link|k}}
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA link|ʔ}}
|-
!{{small|voiced}}
| {{IPA link|b}}
|{{IPA link|d̪|d}}
| {{IPA link|ɖ}}
| {{IPA link|d͡ʒ}}
| {{IPA link|ɡ}}
|-
! rowspan="2" | [[Fricative]]
!{{small|voiceless}}
|{{IPA link|f}}
| {{IPA link|s}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʃ}}
|
| rowspan="2" | {{IPA link|h}}{{efn|Word-initial {{IPA|/h/}} is dropped in Balochi as spoken in Karachi.}}
|-
!{{small|voiced}}
|
| {{IPA link|z}}
|
| {{IPA link|ʒ}}{{efn|Words with {{IPA|/ʒ/}} are uncommon.{{dubious|date=September 2024}}}}
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Rhotic consonant|Rhotic]]
|
| {{IPA link|ɾ}}
| {{IPA link|ɽ}}{{efn|The retroflex tap has a very limited distribution.}}
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Nasal consonant|Nasal]]
| {{IPA link|m}}
| {{IPA link|n}}
|
|
|
|
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Approximant]]
| {{IPA link|w}}
| {{IPA link|l}}
|
| {{IPA link|j}}
|
|
|}
{{notelist}}

In addition, {{IPA|/f/}} occurs in a few words in Southern Balochi. {{IPA|/x/}} (voiceless velar fricative) in some [[loanword]]s in Southern Balochi corresponding to {{IPA|/χ/}} (voiceless uvular fricative) in Western Balochi; and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} (voiced velar fricative) in some loanwords in Southern Balochi corresponding to {{IPA|/ʁ/}} (voiced uvular fricative) in Western Balochi.

In Eastern Balochi, it is noted that the stop and glide consonants may also occur as aspirated allophones in word initial position as {{IPA|[pʰ tʰ ʈʰ t͡ʃʰ kʰ]}} and {{IPA|[wʱ]}}. Allophones of stops in postvocalic position include for voiceless stops, {{IPA|[f θ x]}} and for voiced stops {{IPA|[β ð ɣ]}}. {{IPA|/n l/}} are also dentalized as {{IPA|[n̪ l̪]}}.<ref>{{harvnb|JahaniKorn|2009|pp=634–692}}.</ref>

=== Intonation ===
Difference between a question and a statement is marked with the tone, when there is no question word. Rising tone marks the question and falling tone the statement.<ref name=":0" /> Statements and questions with a question word are characterized by falling intonation at the end of the sentence.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Falling Intonation – Statement
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Á) wassh ent.
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
| .آ) وشّ اِنت)
|-
|English
|He is well.
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Falling Intonation – Question
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Taw) kojá raway?
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
|تئو) کجا رئوئے؟)
|-
|English
|Where are you going?
|}
Questions without a question word are characterized by rising intonation at the end of the sentence.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Jahani |first=Carina |url=https://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-397659 |title=A Grammar of Modern Standard Balochi |date=2019 |publisher=Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rising Intonation – Question
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|(Á) wassh ent?
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet
|آ) وشّ اِنت؟) 
|-
|English
|Is he well?
|}
Both coordinate and subordinate clauses that precede the final clause in the sentence have rising intonation. The final clause in the sentence has falling intonation.<ref name=":0" />
{| class="wikitable"
|+Rising Intonation – In clauses that precede the final clause
!Language
!Example
|-
|Latin
|Shahray kuchah o damkán hechkas gendaga nabut o bázár angat band at.
|-
|Perso-Arabic with Urdu alphabet 
|شهرئے کوچه ءُ دمکان هچکَس گندگَ نبوت ءُ بازار انگت بند اَت.
|-
|English
|Nobody was seen in the streets of the town, and the marketplace was still closed.
|}