Velar consonant

Velar consonants are articulated with the back part of the tongue (dorsum) against the soft palate (velum). Their articulation can shift depending on adjacent vowels, becoming fronted before front vowels and retracted before back vowels. Palatalized velars, like English /k/ in "keen," are sometimes called palatovelars. Labialized velars, such as [kʷ], involve lip rounding, while labial-velar consonants like [k͡p] are doubly articulated. Velar trills or taps are not possible due to the tongue's limited movement.

The most common velar consonant is [k], but some languages lack them entirely. Xavante, standard Tahitian, and some Skou languages may lack any dorsal consonants. Pirahã men may lack the only velar consonant, while other languages like Hawaiian do not distinguish [k] from [t]. Khoisan languages have limited pulmonic velars, with clicks articulated in the uvular region.

In disordered speech, velodorsal stops occur when the velum lowers to contact a static tongue. These are represented by reversed IPA symbols. Velarization and place of articulation are related concepts, with Proto-Indo-European contrasting *kʲ and *kʷ, making plain *k rare.