How are click consonants produced in Khoisan languages?

In Khoisan languages, click consonants are produced as suction sounds within the mouth. These sounds are generated by creating a vacuum between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, which is then released to create a distinct noise.1

The specific type of click depends on the positioning of the tongue and the manner in which air is released into the mouth cavity. Common production methods include:1

• Dental clicks: The back of the tongue contacts the soft palate, while the tip and sides of the tongue touch the teeth; the sound occurs when the tip is lowered.1
• Alveolar clicks: The tip of the tongue is placed on the ridge behind the upper teeth.1
• Lateral clicks: Similar to the sound used to urge on horses.1
• Bilabial clicks: Produced like the sound of a kiss.1

These clicks are often combined with other articulations—such as nasality, voicing, aspiration, or ejection—to form complex sound systems. In Southern African Khoisan languages, these clicks typically appear at the beginning of words.2