In Ilkorin, it seems that medial labialized velars were de-labialized, losing the following [w]-sound. There are several examples of this medial development in the Comparative Tables: ᴹ✶-ŋw- > [-ŋgw- >] Ilk. -ŋg-, ᴹ✶-kw- > [-gw- >] Ilk. -g(w)- (PE19/23). There are also a number of examples of this development in The Etymologies (see below). If the [w] in these examples were retained, it would later have become final after short final vowels vanished, and then this final [w] would have become [u], as happened with ᴹ✶khithwa > hedhu (Ety/KHIS). The fact that there are no such examples of final [u] after a velar is strong evidence for this de-labialization of medial velars.

According to the Comparative Tables, the development for intervocalic [-xw-] was slightly different. Here, the labialized spirant developed into [-h-], probably first becoming ƕ [hʷ]. This change did not occur if the [-xw-] was preceded by a consonant, in which case the [w] was simply lost, as described above: ᴹ✶alkwā > [alxwa >] Ilk. alch [alx] (Ety/ÁLAK).