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Re:Interactive IPA Chart by hunter2_ on Thursday May 06, 2021 @06:52PM (#27069898)
> /ʒ/ does not occur in word-initial position in English

I never noticed that until now. While it's obviously not an English word, plenty of English speakers have discussed French explorer Jacques Cousteau. I can't think of any other examples.

Re:Interactive IPA Chart by open0 on Friday May 07, 2021 @02:22AM (#27072875)
"genre" is one of the few.

One of the languages I know allows for a word-initial /ŋ/, which English does not have at all.

Re:Interactive IPA Chart by eythian on Friday May 07, 2021 @05:44AM (#27074108)
New Zealand English (through Māori influence) has this, in names like Ngaire and places like Ngaio. This said, a lot (perhaps most, though it'll be regional I expect) of speakers will pronounce it as though the 'g' isn't present.
Re:Interactive IPA Chart by bradrn on Friday May 07, 2021 @10:13AM (#27076087)
A couple of years ago I had a geology class in which the lecturer (albeit a non-New Zealander) consistently pronounced Ngāuruhoe with initial /n/. Interesting to know that New Zealanders pronounce it with /ɡ/ instead. (I, of course, pedant that I am, insisted on pronouncing it with an initial /ŋ/.)
Re:Interactive IPA Chart by hunter2_ on Friday May 07, 2021 @09:46AM (#27075786)
Ah, good call.

Vietnamese, by chance? I'm guessing that because the only initial /ŋ/ word on my radar is the name Nguyen.

Re:Interactive IPA Chart by FreeFull on Thursday May 06, 2021 @08:33PM (#27070574)
Jean Luc Picard is a well-known name from fiction, too.
Re:Interactive IPA Chart by marton78 on Friday May 07, 2021 @02:31AM (#27072924)
... and it bothers me a lot how it's consistently mispronounced as John-Luc in the eponymous series.