What vowel system is common in Papuan languages?

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Papuan languages Map of the languages found on the Doberai Peninsula of New Guinea.

In the study of Papuan languages, the most common vowel system is the standard five-phoneme set consisting of /i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, and /u/.1

While this five-vowel arrangement is widespread, it is not universal. Other systems exist, though no Papuan language has been documented with more than 10 vowel phonemes. Additionally, certain regions—most notably the Sepik-Ramu basin—feature distinct and unusual systems characterized by a high frequency of central vowels.1