noun a basic speech sound in which the breath is at least partly obstructed and which can be combined with a vowel to form a syllable

adjective in agreement or harmony with

  • In English language, a consonant is a speech sound that is articulated with complete or partial closure of the vocal tract.
  • I always struggle with pronouncing words with multiple consonants in them.
  • I find it hard to keep up with all the different consonant sounds in different languages.
  • His stoic demeanor was like a consonant presence amidst the chaos of the room.

noun a complex speech sound or glide that begins with one vowel sound and changes to another within the same syllable, as (oi) in oil or (ai) in pain

  • The linguist explained the concept of diphthong in great detail during the lecture.
  • I still don't quite get how to pronounce that diphthong correctly.
  • Yo, did you hear that diphthong in the song? It sounded so cool!
  • The diphthong of emotions in her voice made it clear how conflicted she was.

noun the manner in which something is enunciated, especially the articulation of speech sounds

  • The professor's enunciation of the complex scientific theory was impeccable.
  • I couldn't understand her enunciation, she talks too fast.
  • His enunciation was on point during the rap battle.
  • The artist's enunciation of emotions through her paintings was truly remarkable.

noun A person's lips or the opening of a container that can be used for drinking or pouring

verb The action of forming words with the lips without making any sound

  • The teacher noticed the student mouthing the words as she read the passage aloud.
  • I caught my little brother mouthing along to his favorite song in his room.
  • Stop mouthing off and just do your homework already!
  • She was mouthing empty promises, but I knew not to trust her words.

noun a unit of sound in a language that distinguishes one word from another, such as /p/ in 'pat' and /b/ in 'bat'

  • In linguistics, a phoneme is a distinct unit of sound in a specific language.
  • Teachers often use phonemes to help students improve their pronunciation.
  • Some people struggle with differentiating between phonemes when learning a new language.
  • The phoneme of laughter is universal across all cultures.

noun A person who specializes in the study of phonetics, particularly the sounds of speech

  • The phonetician analyzed the speech patterns of the patient to diagnose their speech disorder.
  • My friend is studying to become a phonetician and learn all about speech sounds.
  • I heard that phoneticians have a cool job figuring out how people talk.
  • The phonetician's ears were finely tuned to pick up even the slightest nuances in pronunciation.

noun the study of speech sounds and their production, transmission, and reception

  • The study of phonetics is crucial for understanding the sounds of language.
  • I find phonetics to be really interesting because it helps me improve my pronunciation.
  • I'm struggling with phonetics in my language class, it's so hard to get the sounds right.
  • Mastering phonetics is like unlocking the key to perfect pronunciation.

adjective relating to speech sounds or the way they are pronounced

  • The phonetic transcription of the word 'cat' is /kæt/.
  • I find phonetic symbols confusing to remember.
  • Some people think learning phonetics is a real pain.
  • Understanding phonetics is like unlocking a secret code.

noun the act of hissing

  • The sibilation of the snake could be heard from a distance.
  • I can't stand the sibilation sound of the kettle boiling.
  • The sibilation of the cicadas is so annoying.
  • The sibilation of the wind through the trees was like a whispered secret.

verb to pronounce or articulate words by making the sounds of the letters

adverb in a manner that involves pronouncing or articulating words by making the sounds of the letters

  • The teacher spent extra time sounding out each word with the struggling student.
  • I'm still sounding out the instructions on this manual.
  • I'm just sounding out the new guy to see if he's cool.
  • She was carefully sounding out her options before making a decision.

noun a phonological process in some dialects of English where the sound /θ/ is replaced by /f/ or /t/ in words like 'think' and 'this'

verb None

adjective None

adverb None

pronoun None

preposition None

conjunction None

interjection None

article None

  • The phonological process of th fronting involves the pronunciation of the sound /θ/ as /f/ or /ð/ as /v/ in certain dialects.
  • Some people find th fronting hard to understand, but it's just a different way of speaking.
  • I love how some accents have th fronting - it sounds so cool!
  • In a metaphorical sense, th fronting can represent the blending of different cultures and languages.