Glottalized b' q' often vary between ejective and
implosive realizations in Mayan languages. Some
of this variation has been attributed to phonetic
differences between languages or dialects, but most
descriptions are compatible with the alternative view
that individual speakers of the same language/dialect
differ in their inclinations to produce these sounds as
ejective or implosive. We investigate the phonetic
realization of b' q' in Uspanteko, a Guatemalan
Mayan language. We find that labial b' is produced
as an implosive more often than uvular q'; that wordfinal
position favors ejective realizations; and that
speakers of the same dialect differ in their tendencies
for producing b' q' as implosive vs. ejective.