<p>If they can independently control each half of their forked tongue(s) they have unique phonology accessible - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubly_articulated_consonant" rel="nofollow noreferrer">double articulation</a> in human languages is rare and only some consonant combinations are observed, but with such a tongue they can co-articulate almost all the possible consonants (most likely <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_consonant" rel="nofollow noreferrer">alveolars</a>, but if they have lips, also labials+alveolars, dentals etc...). This alone might give you enough richness to compensate for the missing consonants (and quite uniquely sounding languages) - and if not, perhaps their languages will have to resort to tones to get enough syllables.</p>
<p>To summarize:</p>
<ul>
<li>if they have flexible mouths and finely controlled tongues, the languages will prominently feature double articulation (of some consonants)</li>
<li>if not, their languages will be likely prominently tonal</li>
</ul>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-26T10:57:02.647Z
2022-07-26T10:57:02.647Z
Radovan Garabík
<p>The snake-people are humanoid creatures with snake-like traits:</p>
<p>Their mouth and nose are longer than in humans. The tongue can work as in humans, but sits only in the front half of the jaw and is forked. The rear half contains the opening of the larynx, which has no epiglottis. The nasal passage is roughly human in its structures, and their face has muscles as in humans</p>
<p>I have already worked out some of the sounds which would be impossible to pronounce, specifically the velar, uvular, and epiglottal sounds (their tongue can't reach velum and uvula, and they don't have an epiglottis). It also seems they may have issues with back vowels. However, I am unsure if there are other sounds which their anatomy could prevent</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-25T01:13:00.217Z
Well, snakes also don't have very flexible lips (or no lips at all?), so maybe their labial consonants would be restricted?
Cecilia
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-07-25T05:46:29.647Z
That's what I was about to ask: do they have lips? Can their tongue create a good closure anywhere in the mouth?
Draconis
<phonology><phonetics>
What sounds would snake-people be able to pronouce?
# What sounds would snake-people be able to pronouce?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-07-24)

The snake-people are humanoid creatures with snake-like traits:

Their mouth and nose are longer than in humans. The tongue can work as in humans, but sits only in the front half of the jaw and is forked. The rear half contains the opening of the larynx, which has no epiglottis. The nasal passage is roughly human in its structures, and their face has muscles as in humans

I have already worked out some of the sounds which would be impossible to pronounce, specifically the velar, uvular, and epiglottal sounds (their tongue can't reach velum and uvula, and they don't have an epiglottis). It also seems they may have issues with back vowels. However, I am unsure if there are other sounds which their anatomy could prevent

**Tags:** phonology, phonetics

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Well, snakes also don't have very flexible lips (or no lips at all?), so maybe their labial consonants would be restricted?  
> **username_2**: That's what I was about to ask: do they have lips? Can their tongue create a good closure anywhere in the mouth?  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-07-26. Score: 4

If they can independently control each half of their forked tongue(s) they have unique phonology accessible - [double articulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubly_articulated_consonant) in human languages is rare and only some consonant combinations are observed, but with such a tongue they can co-articulate almost all the possible consonants (most likely [alveolars](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alveolar_consonant), but if they have lips, also labials+alveolars, dentals etc...). This alone might give you enough richness to compensate for the missing consonants (and quite uniquely sounding languages) - and if not, perhaps their languages will have to resort to tones to get enough syllables.

To summarize:

* if they have flexible mouths and finely controlled tongues, the languages will prominently feature double articulation (of some consonants)
* if not, their languages will be likely prominently tonal


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