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In Southern Dutch, the phonemes {{IPA|/x/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} are either cardinal velars {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|x}}, {{IPAplink|ɣ}}]}} or post-palatal {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|ç˗|ç}}, {{IPAplink|ʝ˗|ʝ}}]}}.{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|1982}}{{sfnp|Collins|Mees|2003}} More specifically, post-palatals occur in contact with phonemic front vowels and {{IPA|/ə/}}, whereas the cardinal velars occur in contact with phonemic back vowels (including {{IPA|/aː/}} and {{IPA|/ɑ/}}).{{sfnp|Heijmans|Gussenhoven|1998}}{{sfnp|Peters|2010|p=240}} The phonemes usually contrast by voicing, but {{IPA|/ɣ/}} can be devoiced to a lenis {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|x|ɣ̊}} ~ {{IPAplink|ç|ʝ̊}}]}} that differs from {{IPA|/x/}} in a less energetic articulation. Verhoeven and Hageman<ref>Cited in {{Harvcoltxt|Verhoeven|2005|p=244}}.</ref> have found that 70% of word-initial and 56% of intervocalic lenis fricatives (which includes {{IPA|/v/}} and {{IPA|/z/}}) are realized as fully voiceless in Belgium. In [[Maastrichtian Limburgish]], initial {{IPA|/ɣ/}} is often partially devoiced as well.{{sfnp|Gussenhoven|Aarts|1999|p=156}}
In [[Ripuarian language|Ripuarian]] (spoken in the southeastern part of Limburg), {{IPAblink|ʝ˗|ʝ}} has been so fronted and weakened as to merge with the palatal approximant {{IPAblink|j}}; compare Standard Dutch {{lang|nl|goed}} {{IPA|/ɣut/}} with {{lang|ksh|jód}} {{IPA|/jot/}} in the [[Kerkrade dialect]], with both words meaning 'good'. Those dialects are also an exception to the rule, as they switch over to the respective standard pronunciation when speaking Standard Dutch (in which case {{IPAblink|ʝ˗|ʝ}} is used) or, on the other side of the border (e.g. in [[Herzogenrath]], where the Kerkrade dialect is also spoken), Standard German (in which case {{IPAblink|ɡ}} is used). The pronunciation with {{IPAblink|j}} is [[Markedness|marked]] on both sides of the border. On the Dutch side of the border, the standard pronunciation of {{IPA|/ɣ/}} is only approximated after phonological back vowels {{IPA|/u, ɔ, oː, aː, ɔu/}}, being uvular {{IPAblink|ʁ}} as in Ripuarian. On the German side, this is always realized as {{IPAblink|ɡ}}.
In many cases, {{IPAblink|j}} still patterns as an [[obstruent]], an allophone of {{IPA|/ɣ/}} in Ripuarian. The plural form {{lang|ksh|zeëje}} {{IPA|[ˈzeəjə]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} 'saws' has an underlying {{IPA|/ɣ/}}: {{IPA|/ˈzeəɣə/}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} because it alternates with a voiceless fricative in the root {{lang|ksh|zeëg}} {{IPA|[ˈzeəç]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} 'saw', phonemically {{IPA|/ˈzeəɣ/}}.{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} Compare this with the alternation in {{lang|ksh|vroag}} {{IPA|[ˈvʁoəχ]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} 'question' - {{lang|ksh|vroage}} {{IPA|[ˈvʁoəʁə]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} 'questions' (phonemically {{IPA|/ˈvroːɣ/}},{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} {{IPA|/ˈvroəɣə/}}){{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} or with the plural-singular pair {{lang|ksh|löcher}} {{IPA|[ˈlœçəʁ]}} - {{lang|ksh|laoch}} {{IPA|[ˈlɔːχ]}},{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} which has underlying voiceless fricatives: {{IPA|/ˈlœxər/}}, {{IPA|/ˈlɔːx/}}.{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} The {{IPA|/j/}} phoneme is a [[sonorant]] and thus cannot participate in alternations like that. Furthermore, Ripuarian features a very different pronunciation of {{IPA|/x/}} and {{IPA|/ɣ/}} after back vowels, as uvular {{IPA|[{{IPAplink|χ}}, {{IPAplink|ʁ}}]}}, not dissimilar from the Northern Dutch pronunciation in the first case. The realization of {{IPA|/ɣ/}} as {{IPAblink|ʁ}} results in a phonetic merger with {{IPA|/r/}} and is thus an example of [[rhotacism]]. The consonants surrounding the diphthong in {{lang|ksh|vroage}} {{IPA|/ˈvroəɣə/}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} are indistinguishable from each other: {{IPA|[ˈvʁoəʁə]}}).{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} This is a typical feature of Ripuarian. This merger is also not phonemic as {{IPA|/r/}} too is a sonorant and thus cannot participate in alternations such as {{IPA|[ˈvʁoəχ]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} - {{IPA|[ˈvʁoəʁə]}}{{fix|text=tone?|date=July 2023}} mentioned above.{{sfnp|Stichting Kirchröadsjer Dieksiejoneer|1997|pp=17, 19, 21, 126}}{{sfnp|Russ|1989|pp=228–229}}
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