Combining Tilde Overlay

It marks an extra narrowing toward the soft palate or throat. In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), a system for writing speech sounds, the narrowing near the soft palate is called velarization; farther back in the throat it is pharyngealization. l̴ shows an L sound with that added constriction.

The IPA archive dates its first published alphabet to 1888. Its 1926 chart includes ᵭ and ᵶ for velarized or pharyngealized sounds; the 1949 chart lists ɫ, an IPA letter for velarized L, and other velarized consonants.

Transcription traditions differ. A 2003 Unicode proposal describes Americanist phonetic notation as using the overlay for simultaneous velar articulation, while IPA uses it for velarization or pharyngealization. Its examples include Arabic, other Semitic languages, and Russian transcription.

Why does ̴ move or float?

The base letter gives the mark its attachment point. A combining mark follows its base, but the font and text-rendering software decide where it sits. Without a base letter, ̴ may appear on its own; a dotted circle shown in reference material marks the missing base position.

Its size, shape, and attachment can vary with the base. If it looks misplaced in phonetic text, try a font designed for phonetic notation.

Use ˠ or ˤ when the distinction matters

ˠ marks velarization and ˤ pharyngealization. A 2003 Unicode proposal says separate modifiers make that distinction clearer and easier to typeset; the overlay suits a source that uses its broader reading.