diff --git a/conlanging.el b/conlanging.el
index bddacf9..d561025 100644
--- a/conlanging.el
+++ b/conlanging.el
@@ -340,16 +340,17 @@ See `conlanging--proto-nyqy-phoneme'.")
                                       (equal (oref elem :grapheme)
                                              grapheme))
                                     conlanging--proto-nyqy-phonetics)))
-        (if (oref cur-phoneme :is-consonant)
-            (progn
-              (when (eq dorsal 'undefined)
-                (setq dorsal (oref cur-phoneme :is-dorsal)))
-              (setq phonetics (concat phonetics
-                                      (if dorsal
-                                          (oref cur-phoneme :phoneme)
-                                        (oref cur-phoneme :alt-phoneme))))
-              (setq dorsal (not dorsal)))
-          (setq phonetics (concat phonetics (oref cur-phoneme :phoneme))))))
+        (when cur-phoneme
+          (if (oref cur-phoneme :is-consonant)
+              (progn
+                (when (eq dorsal 'undefined)
+                  (setq dorsal (oref cur-phoneme :is-dorsal)))
+                (setq phonetics (concat phonetics
+                                        (if dorsal
+                                            (oref cur-phoneme :phoneme)
+                                          (oref cur-phoneme :alt-phoneme))))
+                (setq dorsal (not dorsal)))
+            (setq phonetics (concat phonetics (oref cur-phoneme :phoneme)))))))
     phonetics))
 
 ;;;###autoload