Editing Balochi language (section)

=== 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>