Editing Luganda (section)

=== Variant pronunciations ===
The [[palatal consonant|palatal]] [[plosive consonant|plosives]] {{IPA|/c/}} and {{IPA|/ɟ/}} may be realised with some [[affricate consonant|affrication]] — either as {{IPA|[cç]}} and {{IPA|[ɟʝ]}} or as [[postalveolar consonant|postalveolars]] {{IPA|/tʃ/}} and {{IPA|/dʒ/}} respectively.

In speech, word-final [[vowel]]s are often [[elision|elided]] in these conditioning environments:
* Word-final {{IPA|/u/}} can be silent after {{IPA|/f/}}, {{IPA|/fː/}}, {{IPA|/v/}} or {{IPA|/vː/}}
* Word-final {{IPA|/i/}} can be silent after {{IPA|/c/}}, {{IPA|/cː/}}, {{IPA|/ɟ/}} or {{IPA|/ɟː/}}

For example, {{lang|lg|ekiddugavu}} {{IPA|/ecídːuɡavu/}} 'black' may be pronounced {{IPA|[ecídːuɡavʷu]}} or {{IPA|[ecídːuɡavʷ]}}. Similarly {{lang|lg|lwaki}} {{IPA|/lwáːci/}} 'why' may be pronounced {{IPA|[lwáːci]}}, {{IPA|[lwáːc]}} or {{IPA|[lwáːtʃ]}}.

Long vowels before [[prenasalised consonant|prenasalised]] [[fricative]]s (that is, before {{IPA|/nf/}}, {{IPA|/nv/}}, {{IPA|/ns/}} or {{IPA|/nz/}}) may be [[nasal vowel|nasalised]], and the nasal is then often elided. Additionally, when not elided (for example phrase-initially), the {{IPA|/n/}} usually becomes a [[labiodental consonant|labiodental]] in {{IPA|/nf/}}, {{IPA|/nv/}}. For example:
* {{lang|lg|nfa}} {{IPA|/nfa/}} 'I'm dying' is pronounced {{IPA|[ɱfʷa]}}
* {{lang|lg|musanvu}} {{IPA|/musáːnvu/}} 'seven' may be pronounced {{IPA|[musáːɱvʷu]}}, {{IPA|[musãːɱvʷu]}}, {{IPA|[musãːvʷu]}} or {{IPA|[musãːɱvʷ]}}
* {{lang|lg|tonsaba}} {{IPA|/toːnsába/}} 'don't ask me' may be pronounced {{IPA|[toːnsába]}}, {{IPA|[tõːsába]}} or {{IPA|[tõːnsába]}}

The [[liquid consonant|liquid]] {{IPA|/l~r/}} has two [[allophones]] {{IPA|[l]}} and {{IPA|[r]}}, conditioned by the preceding vowel. It is usually realised as a [[tap consonant|tap]] or [[flap consonant|flap]] {{IPA|[ɾ]}} after a [[front vowel|front]] [[unrounded vowel]] (''i.e.'' after {{IPA|/e/}}, {{IPA|/eː/}}, {{IPA|/i/}} or {{IPA|/iː/}}), and as a [[lateral approximant]] {{IPA|[l]}} elsewhere. However, there is considerable variation in this, and using one allophone instead of the other causes no ambiguity. So {{lang|lg|lwaki}} {{IPA|/lwáːci/}} 'why' may also be pronounced {{IPA|[rwáːci]}}, {{IPA|[ɾwáːci]}}, {{IPA|[ɹwáːtʃi]}} ''etc''.