This article is about click consonants initiated with a velar release. For velar vs uvular clicks with a more forward release, see Click consonant § Complex clicks.
A back-released click, sometimes more precisely a velar-released click or uvular-released click, is a click consonant found in paralinguistic use in languages across Africa, such as Wolof.[1][2] The tongue is in a similar position to other click articulations, such as an alveolar click, and like other clicks, the airstream mechanism is lingual. However, unlike other clicks, the salient sound is produced by releasing the rear (velar or uvular) closure of the tongue rather than the front closure. Consequently, the air that fills the vacuum comes from behind the tongue, from the nasal cavity and the throat. Velar- and uvular-released clicks are always voiceless and typically nasal ([ᵑ̊ʞ] or [ᶰ̥ʞ]), as nasal airflow is required for a reasonably loud production.
