Galician Phonology

The Galician language is similar to Portuguese but also reflects Spanish influence. This is reflected in the phonology of the language. It has features of both Spanish and Portuguese.

Galician has seven vowel phonemes, two mid front vowels and two mid back vowels. This is the same as in Portuguese. Spanish, however, has five vowel phonemes.

Unlike in Portuguese, Galician has the voiceless interdental fricative and the voiceless alveopalatal affricate. They occur in the words feliz (happy) and choiva (rain). Galician also has the apicodental voiceless fricative and non-velarized lateral of Spanish. They occur in the words casa (house) and azul (blue). 

Galician has the palatal lateral and the voiceless alveopalatal fricative, sounds which also occur in Portuguese. However, it lacks the voiced alveopalatal fricative of Portuguese. The palatal lateral and the voiceless alveopalatal fricative occur in alho (garlic) and joelho (knee). In Portuguese, the word joelho has a voiced alveopalatal fricative.

Galician phonology shares characteristics of both Portuguese and Spanish. It has the seven vowel phonemes of Portuguese, the palatal lateral and the voiceless alveopalatal fricative. On the other hand, it also has the apicodental voiceless fricative, the voiceless interdental fricative and the voiceless alveopalatal affricate, consonants which also occur in Spanish.