zu ersterem: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C9%BB

zu letzterem: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E2%B1%A2

*edit* gestrichen

@Gart: I think you're right.

Thanks. I realized I could probably copy these characters from the LEO screen to a search box in my browser while viewing the Wikipedia IPA article. I should have thought of that.

I've found some information in the English Wikipedia:

ɻ represents a retroflex approximant (voiced), which is what you suggested. This is simply the standard American r-sound, I think. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retroflex_approximant

ɫ seems to be a velarized L. You've suggested that it's the velarisierten stimmhaften lateralen alveolaren Approximanten. I haven't yet figured it out, but I think I'm on the right track.

Thanks for your help.

eric

A velarized L is probably the one you use, i.e. what is informally known as a 'dark l'.

In Scottish and most American varieties of English, all l's are dark. In Irish English, no l is dark. In RP and most English-English varieties, an l is clear before a vowel, otherwise dark.

The difference is not phonemic in any variety of English, hence the dark-l symbol should not be used in any phonemic notation of English. It is phonemic in Gaelic and Russian (and probably other Slavic languages too). In Polish, the dark l is so dark (velarized) that it has mutated to a [w].