The central vowels /ɨ ə a/ have fronted and backed allophones, depending on the adjacent consonant(s).
In positions other than word-initial, Xamtanga contrasts geminate and non-geminate consonants.
With most consonants, the difference between a geminate and a non-geminate is simply one of length, but the cases of /b t q/ are more complex.
Their geminate equivalents may be realized as prolonged [bː tː qː], or can simply be short [b t q].
In word-initial position, geminate consonants do not occur, and /b t q/ are realized as plosives.