'''Prevoicing''', in phonetics, is voicing before the onset of a consonant or beginning with the onset of the consonant but ending before its release. In the extensions to the International Phonetic Alphabet for speech pathology, prevoicing is transcribed with a voicing diacritic ( ̬, U+032C) placed in front of the consonant, as in {{IPA|[ ̬d]}}.
In several Khoisan languages of Southern Africa, such as Taa and !Kung, stops such as {{IPA|/dzʰ/}} ({{IPA|[dsʰ]}} or {{IPA|[dtsʰ]}}) and {{IPA|/dzʼ/}} ({{IPA|[dsʼ]}} or {{IPA|[dtsʼ]}}) are sometimes analyzed as being prevoiced {{IPA|/ ̬tsʰ/}} and {{IPA|/ ̬tsʼ/}},<ref>Kehrein, Wolfgang. (2002). ''Phonological representation and phonetic phasing''. Tübingen: Niemeyer.</ref> though the cessation of voicing has also been analyzed as phonetic detail in the transition of a phonemically voiced consonant to its voiceless aspiration or ejection. (See aspirated voiced consonant and voiced ejective.)
Kelabit has a similar set of aspirated voiced consonants. Not all speakers produce the aspiration, resulting in prevoiced (or mixed voiced) {{IPA|[b͡p, d͡t, ɡ͡k]}} (or equivalently {{IPA|[ ̬p, ̬t, ̬k]}}, and neighboring Lun Dayeh has {{IPA|[b͡p, d͡tʃ, ɡ͡k]}} (= {{IPA|[ ̬p, ̬tʃ, ̬k]}}.
== References == {{reflist}}
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