This thread is not about the rules of learning languages. Yes, in game terms all that you "need" to speak any language is a skill rank in Linguistics. Not the point of this thread!
The point of this thread: What does an elemental language (Ignan/Terran/Aquan/Auran) actually sound like? If they are the languages of elementals, can a human's vocal chords really replicate the sounds, or would a speaker of Ignan be better served by a campfire, an air pump, and a fan to "make the sounds of fire?"
Yes, this is prettymuch going to be a thread of opinions and interpretations.
Keep in mind, more then just the, well, elementals, speak the elemental language. Efreeti, for example, speak Ignan.
Yes! Certainly true. As a generalization though creatures that speak Ignan reside on the Plane of Fire, creatures that speak Terran reside on the Plane of Earth, etc etc. Being able to live on the Elemental Planes already implies an unusual physiology.
An Efreeti (for example) certainly looks human, but it can also "use" Produce Flame at will. This means that, if it was actually necessary to have fire to speak Ignan, this wouldn't be an issue for the Efreeti at all; if it needs fire to make the right sounds then it just goes ahead and makes one in its own mouth.
The Salamander is trickier to explain, as it doesn't appear to have any spell-like abilities at all. It is, however, apparently hot enough that just touching it deals 1d6 fire damage! That, and its immunity to fire, could be used to justify explanations or theories of the Salamander's throat and vocal chords also involving ... well, fire.
That the Salamander is also capable of creating the right sounds for common complicates the matter, however.
BUT! Ignoring all that. If it is your opinion that Ignan doesn't sound like fire when spoken, what do you think it's like?
Given that dwarves can learn Terran, it is likely to be spoken fairly "easily" by most humanoids. That said, it is probably a harsh, gutteral language that hurts the voice of those not use to it.
Igan could acutally sound like fire, or more preisely, something being burned by it. It could well be a combination of snaps, grouns, creeks, and other such sounds. In that reguard it would be somewhat like real world Khoisan languages.
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I've hear Aquan described as whalesong and also as a series of clicks like dolphin sounds. I think clicks works better in the air, for example in the case of an Oracle who switches language during moments of stress. Underwater you would need to be able to breathe to speak without swallowing a loss of water and starting to drown!
Terran I describe as rumbling and grinding noises, and I think a free hand should be necessary to bang, say, your fist against something hard or a scabbard against a stone wall.
Your accent would be terrible :-)
Ignan is a series of vocalized explosion noises along with "blowing up" gestures.