Topic-138: Advanced Tongue Root (ATR) Normally, while discussing the degree of variation in vowel sounds, three types of features are given (i.e., height of tongue, backness of tongue and lip rounding) which cover the major variation in world’s languages. But this description does not coverall types of variation in vowel quality. One out of such variations is advanced tongue root (ATR) which is found in Akan language spoken in Ghana. Actually, vowels produced with ATR involve the furthest-back part of the tongue, opposite to the pharyngeal wall, which is not normally involved in the production of speech sounds - also called the radix articulations of this type may, therefore, be described as radical. ATR (a kind of articulation in which the movement of the root of tongue expands the front–back diameter of the pharynx) is used phonologically in Akan (and some other African languages) as a factor in contrast of vowel harmony. The opposite direction of movement is called retracted tongue root (RTR). ATR is thus related to the size of pharynx – making the pharyngeal cavity different creating comparatively large (+ATR: root forward and larynx lowered) and small pharyngeal cavity (-ATR: no advanced tongue root. Akan contrasts between two sets of vowels +ATR and –ATR.
