Gheada
Gheada is a term in Galician to describe the debuccalisation of the voiced velar stop to a voiceless pharyngeal fricative.
Although it is found throughout Galicia, its use is declining in Lugo and eastern Ourense, and it is rarely encountered in education or broadcasting. However, it is neither considered incorrect nor stigmatised, and it is perfectly acceptable in speech.
Occasionally, the sound is articulated as a voiceless velar fricative, as in Castilian jamón.Orthography
The pronunciation is sometimes indicated by the digraph gh:
- gato > ghato
- pago > pagho
