Which IPA symbol represents the voiceless glottal fricative?

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Multiple Choice

Which IPA symbol represents the voiceless glottal fricative?

Explanation:
The key idea is identifying the place and voicing of the sound. A glottal fricative is produced by forcing air through a narrow opening at the vocal folds (the glottis) without vibrating them, giving a breathy, turbulent noise. That sound is represented by /h/. In English it appears at the start of words like “hat.” It differs from the other options: /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative, /ʃ/ is a voiceless palato-alveolar fricative, and /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative.

The key idea is identifying the place and voicing of the sound. A glottal fricative is produced by forcing air through a narrow opening at the vocal folds (the glottis) without vibrating them, giving a breathy, turbulent noise. That sound is represented by /h/. In English it appears at the start of words like “hat.” It differs from the other options: /s/ is a voiceless alveolar fricative, /ʃ/ is a voiceless palato-alveolar fricative, and /z/ is a voiced alveolar fricative.

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