Phonetics Terminology

noun a sign (ʻ) placed over a vowel to indicate that it is pronounced with aspiration or is long or high-toned

verb to pronounce with an audible puff of breath

adjective relating to or denoting a speech sound produced with an audible puff of breath

• The doctor used a syringe to aspirate the fluid from the patient's lungs.
• I had to aspirate the clogged sink with a plunger.
• I hate when I accidentally aspirate water while swimming.
• She tried to aspirate all negativity from her life by surrounding herself with positive people.

adjective relating to or involving both lips, such as the sounds made by bringing both lips together

• The phoneme /p/ is a bilabial sound produced by bringing both lips together.
• When you say 'pop', notice how your lips come together for the bilabial sound.
• I love how the beatboxer can make those cool bilabial sounds with his lips.
• The artist's painting had a bilabial quality to it, with the colors blending seamlessly like lips coming together.

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 loud, unpleasant, and prolonged noise

• The din of the construction site could be heard from several blocks away.
• I couldn't hear you over the din of the party.
• The din at the concert was insane, I couldn't even hear myself think.
• Amidst the din of everyday life, finding moments of peace can be challenging.

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.

verb to double or repeat

adjective having a doubled or repeated consonant sound

• In phonetics, geminate refers to a double or long consonant sound.
• I heard that Italian has geminate consonants, which are pronounced for a longer duration.
• Some people find it hard to pronounce geminate sounds correctly.
• The geminate relationship between the two characters in the movie was evident in their on-screen chemistry.

noun a sound produced by the vibration of the vocal cords at the glottis

adjective relating to or produced by the glottis, the space between the vocal cords in the larynx

• The glottal stop is a type of consonantal sound used in many spoken languages.
• I always struggle with pronouncing words with a glottal stop.
• Some people find the glottal stop sound funny.
• His glottal singing style adds a unique touch to his performances.

adjective relating to or characterized by guttural sounds, harsh or throaty in character

• The singer's guttural voice resonated throughout the concert hall.
• I couldn't understand what he was saying with his guttural accent.
• His guttural growl scared off the intruders.
• The guttural sound of the engine signaled the start of the race.

noun a sound or letter of the alphabet not in harmony with other sounds or letters.

adjective not in harmony or keeping with the surroundings or other aspects of something; not consonant.

• The data presented in the report is inconsonant with the findings of previous studies.
• Her explanation was inconsonant with the facts of the case.
• His excuse for being late was totally inconsonant with reality.
• The colors in the painting seemed inconsonant at first, but upon closer inspection, they created a harmonious blend.

noun the action or process of making or becoming longer

verb to make or become longer

• The lengthening of the days in summer allows for more outdoor activities.
• I noticed the lengthening days as we approach summer.
• The days are getting longer, it's awesome!
• The lengthening of our friendship has brought us closer together.

noun the act or process of nasalizing, or the state of being nasalized

• The phonetic study focused on the nasalization of vowels in different languages.
• I noticed the nasalization of her voice when she had a cold.
• The singer's nasalization of the song made it sound unique.
• The nasalization of the music gave it a haunting quality.

adjective Altered or modified by the addition of a nasal sound

• The linguist explained that in some languages, vowels can become nasalized when followed by a nasal consonant.
• I noticed that when she speaks, her vowels sound nasalized.
• Why do you always talk with that nasalized accent?
• The music had a nasalized quality to it, as if the singer was holding their nose while singing.

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.

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.

verb past tense of point, to direct or aim something in a specific direction

adjective having a sharp or tapering tip

• The professor pointed out the key concepts in the lecture.
• I pointed to the best restaurant in town for you to try.
• She pointed me in the direction of the coolest party in town.
• The evidence pointed towards the suspect's guilt.

verb to say or articulate (words) clearly and distinctly

adjective having a strong or noticeable quality

• The doctor pronounced the patient's name with perfect clarity.
• I always struggle to pronounce her last name correctly.
• He pronounced himself as the king of the party.
• The success of the new product was pronounced by the increase in sales.

adjective Retroflex is an adjective that describes a consonant sound produced with the tongue curled back towards the hard palate.

• The retroflex consonants are produced by curling the tip of the tongue backwards towards the roof of the mouth.
• Some people find it difficult to pronounce retroflex sounds correctly.
• I can't get the hang of those retroflex letters in the new language I'm learning.
• Her retroflex attitude towards change made it hard for her to adapt to new situations.

verb to make or become shorter in length or duration

• We must find a way to shorten the time it takes to complete this project.
• Can you please shorten this email before sending it out?
• Let's try to shorten the meeting so we can all go home early.
• Sometimes, hardships can help to shorten the distance between two people.

verb to make a hissing sound like that of a snake

• The snake began to sibilate as a warning to the approaching predator.
• I could hear the snake sibilating in the bushes nearby.
• The snake was sibilating like crazy, it was so creepy.
• The tension in the room was so high, you could almost hear it sibilating.

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.

noun a word used to identify any of a class of people, places, or things

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

• The professor made sure not to slur over any important details during the lecture.
• Don't slur over the instructions or you might make a mistake.
• I tend to slur over my homework when I'm feeling lazy.
• She tends to slur over her emotions, never fully expressing how she truly feels.

noun a derogatory or insulting remark or insinuation

verb to speak about someone in an insulting or disparaging way

• The politician faced backlash for using a racial slur during his speech.
• I can't believe she just used that slur, it's so offensive.
• He called me a slur and I was so mad.
• His reputation was tarnished by the slur of corruption that followed him.

noun a unit of pronunciation having one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants

adjective relating to or consisting of syllables

• The word 'elephant' has three syllables.
• I struggle with words that have more than one syllable.
• I can't deal with long words with too many syllables.
• Each syllable of the poem carried a different emotion.

adjective describing something that is not connected or linked together

• The two pieces remained unjoined despite multiple attempts to connect them.
• I tried to put the puzzle together, but some pieces were unjoined.
• I couldn't get the necklace clasp to work, so now it's just unjoined.
• Their opinions on the matter were unjoined, leading to a lack of consensus.

adjective a word that describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun, in this case, 'unpronounced' describes something that cannot be pronounced

• The correct pronunciation of the scientific term was left unpronounced by the speaker.
• She stumbled over the unpronounced name of the restaurant when telling her friends about it.
• The rapper's new stage name is intentionally unpronounced to create intrigue.
• The unpronounced tension between the two colleagues was palpable during the meeting.

adjective An adjective is a word that describes or modifies a noun or pronoun. In this case, 'unvoiced' describes something that is not expressed or spoken aloud.

• The unvoiced concerns of the employees were finally addressed during the meeting.
• She kept her unvoiced opinions to herself during the discussion.
• I could tell by his unvoiced reaction that he wasn't happy with the decision.
• The unvoiced emotions between them were palpable, despite their outward calm.

verb a word used to describe an action, state, or occurrence

• The professor voiced her concerns about the research methodology during the conference.
• She voiced her opinion about the new project in the meeting.
• I finally mustered up the courage to voice my feelings to her.
• The painting beautifully voiced the artist's inner emotions and struggles.

adjective describing something that lacks sound or vocalization

• The voiceless victims of the war are often overlooked in discussions of conflict resolution.
• The voiceless kids in the classroom need to be encouraged to speak up more.
• It's not cool to ignore the voiceless in our community.
• Her artwork was a powerful expression of the voiceless suffering in society.

noun a speech sound that is produced by comparatively open configuration of the vocal tract

adjective relating to or being a vowel

• In English, there are five vowels: a, e, i, o, and u.
• I always struggle with remembering which letters are vowels.
• Bro, do you even know your vowels?
• She sang with such a pure vowel sound that it brought tears to my eyes.

noun a term used in some Asian languages to refer to a unit of length, typically equal to about 3.77 centimeters

• The length of the bridge is 300 meters.
• I can't believe the length of the movie, it felt like it would never end.
• Check out the leng on that car, it's so sleek.
• The length of her patience was wearing thin as the meeting dragged on.

noun the manner in which syllables are divided in a word

• Proper syllabication is crucial in determining the correct pronunciation of words.
• Make sure you break down the word into syllables for easier understanding.
• I struggle with the whole syllabication thing, it's too much work.
• The syllabication of emotions can be complex and difficult to express.

noun a speech sound produced by narrowing but not blocking the vocal tract

adjective relating to or denoting a consonant that is produced by narrowing but not blocking the vocal tract

• The phoneme /w/ is an approximant sound produced by rounding the lips.
• In casual conversation, people often pronounce 'approximant' as 'uh-prox-uh-muhnt'.
• I can't believe I nailed that approximant in my speech, it was perfect!
• Her singing voice was like a smooth approximant, gliding effortlessly through the song.

noun A speech sound or glide that begins with one vowel sound and moves through a second to end in a third, such as the sounds represented by the vowels in 'ire,' 'your,' and 'lower.'

• A triphthong is a combination of three vowel sounds in a single syllable.
• I learned about triphthongs in my linguistics class and found them quite interesting.
• I have no idea what a triphthong is, sounds like some kind of alien language.
• The triphthong of emotions she felt was evident in her tear-streaked face.

noun a single pure vowel sound, as opposed to a diphthong

adjective relating to or denoting a monophthong

• The linguist explained the concept of monophthong in great detail during the seminar.
• I still don't quite understand what a monophthong is, can you explain it in simpler terms?
• Monophthongs are like the basic building blocks of vowel sounds in words.
• Her voice was as clear and pure as a monophthong in a sea of diphthongs.

adjective describing a word that sounds the same as another word but has a different meaning or spelling

• The two words are homophonous, meaning they sound the same but have different meanings.
• I always get confused with homophonous words like 'there' and 'their'.
• I hate when words are homophonous, it makes it so hard to spell correctly.
• Their relationship was like a homophonous pair, always close but never quite the same.

noun A unit of weight used in East Asia, equal to about 1.3 pounds or 600 grams.

• The teacher asked the students to take a seat and focus on the lesson.
• Hey, can you ta this bag for me?
• I'll ta care of it, no worries.
• She decided to ta matters into her own hands and confront the issue head-on.

noun a person's facial expression indicating displeasure or sadness

• She tried to hide her frow with a polite smile during the meeting.
• I could see the frow on his face when he realized he had forgotten his wallet.
• Don't be such a frow, just relax and enjoy the party.
• The dark clouds overhead cast a frow on the otherwise sunny day.

noun a vocal effect produced by a low, creaky sound that typically occurs at the end of a sentence or phrase

• Some researchers suggest that the use of vocal fry in speech may be perceived negatively in professional settings.
• I noticed that a lot of young people tend to use vocal fry when they speak casually.
• Her vocal fry is so annoying, I can't stand listening to her talk.
• The singer's vocal fry added a unique texture to her performance.

verb making a sound of pleasure, contentment, or wonder

• The audience was aahing in amazement at the opera singer's high notes.
• We were all aahing over the cute puppies at the pet store.
• The group of teenagers were aahing at the new video game trailer.
• She couldn't help but keep aahing over the breathtaking view from the mountaintop.

noun aaliis

• The aaliis is a traditional garment worn by women in some Middle Eastern countries.
• I love wearing my aaliis during special occasions.
• Check out that cool aaliis she's wearing!
• Her aaliis of confidence was evident in the way she carried herself.

noun a member of a Caucasian people of Abkhazia, in the northwest Caucasus region of the eastern Black Sea

adjective relating to the Abkhaz people or their language

• The Abkhas language is one of the official languages of Abkhazia.
• I heard that Abkhas cuisine is very delicious.
• Let's go check out that new Abkhas restaurant in town.
• His knowledge of Abkhas culture runs deep, like a river flowing through the mountains.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

verb a word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being

• The chef used abreid to finely chop the vegetables for the soup.
• I always use abreid when I'm in a rush to get dinner ready.
• Hey, can you pass me the abreid so I can fix this quickly?
• His words were like abreid, cutting through the tension in the room.

adjective not in harmony; discordant

• The absonant behavior of the employee led to his dismissal.
• His absonant attitude is really starting to annoy me.
• Stop being so absonant, dude.
• The discord in their relationship was absonant, like two notes clashing in a song.

verb to depart quickly or hastily; to go away

• The act of abyeing one's responsibilities is not acceptable in a professional setting.
• Stop abyeing your chores and help out around the house.
• She's always abyeing her promises, can't trust her anymore.
• By abyeing the truth, he only prolonged the inevitable confrontation.

noun a person who specializes in the study of accents, especially in linguistics

• The accentologist conducted a detailed analysis of the speaker's pronunciation and intonation.
• My friend is training to become an accentologist so she can help actors perfect their accents.
• I heard that accentologist is the go-to person for mastering different regional accents.
• As an accentologist, she had a knack for deciphering the subtle nuances of speech patterns.

verb to emphasize or make more noticeable

adjective serving to emphasize or make more noticeable

• The use of proper lighting is crucial in accentuating the beauty of the artwork.
• Wearing a belt is great for accentuating your waist in that dress.
• Adding some highlighter to your cheekbones really helps in accentuating your features.
• Her silence spoke volumes, accentuating the tension in the room.

noun a speech sound produced by a sudden release of air after a stop consonant, as in the sound of the 'ch' in the German word 'ach'

• The pronunciation of the 'ch' in German words like 'Bach' involves an ach-laut sound.
• I always struggle with the ach-laut in German words, it's so different from English.
• I can never get the ach-laut right, it always comes out sounding weird.
• The ach-laut in her speech added a touch of sophistication to her accent.

noun a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea

• The scientist discussed the phenomenon of acoasmas in great detail during the conference.
• I heard that acoasmas are some kind of rare optical illusions.
• Have you ever seen those crazy acoasmas that mess with your eyes?
• The artist used acoasmas in her painting to create a sense of movement and depth.

verb Past tense of the verb 'address', which means to write or speak to someone

• The addossed document was carefully examined by the legal team.
• I couldn't read the addossed letter because the ink was smudged.
• The addossed contract was so official looking.
• The addossed seal on the envelope gave it an air of importance.

noun a composite speech sound consisting of a stop consonant followed by a fricative or spirant consonant, as (ch, j), (psh, bzh), etc.

• The affricate sound in the word 'church' is a combination of a stop and a fricative.
• I find it difficult to pronounce the affricate correctly in certain words.
• Some people struggle with saying the affricate sound, but with practice, it gets easier.
• The affricate symbolizes the blending of two distinct sounds to create a new phonetic element.

adjective relating to or characterized by affrication, a type of consonantal sound that begins as a stop and releases as a fricative

• The linguist explained that the sound 'ch' in the word 'church' is affricated.
• I always struggle with pronouncing words that have affricated sounds.
• I can't stand how some people over-affricate their words when they talk.
• Her affricated laughter filled the room with joy.

noun the result of affricating a sound

• Affrication is a phonological process where a stop consonant becomes an affricate.
• I learned about affrication in my linguistics class.
• Some people find affrication to be a bit tricky to understand.
• The affrication of his speech added a unique flair to his storytelling.