Sibilant: meaning, definitions and examples

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sibilant

 

[ หˆsษชbษชlษ™nt ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

phonetics sound

The term 'sibilant' refers to a type of hissing or hushing sound that is produced in human speech. These sounds are characterized by a high-frequency quality and occur in various languages. Sibilants are typically produced by forcing air through a narrow channel formed by placing the tongue close to the roof of the mouth.

Synonyms

hissing, sibilance

Examples of usage

  • The 's' sound in 'snake' is a sibilant.
  • Sibilant consonants can create a soothing effect in poetry.
  • In English, 'sh', 's', and 'z' are common sibilants.
  • Sibilance can be used for emphasis in spoken language.

Translations

Translations of the word "sibilant" in other languages:

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น sibilante

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ เคธเคฟเคฌเคฟเคฒเฅ‡เค‚เคŸ

๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ sibilan

๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ัะธะฑั–ะปัะฝั‚

๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ sybilant

๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต ใ‚ทใƒ“ใƒฉใƒณใƒˆ

๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ sibilante

๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท ์‹œ๋นŒ๋ž€ํŠธ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ ุตูˆุช ุตุงุฏุญ

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ sibilant

๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ ๆ‘ฉๆ“ฆ้Ÿณ

๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ ัั–ะฑั–ะปะฐะฝั‚

๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช แƒกแƒ˜แƒ‘แƒ˜แƒšแƒแƒœแƒขแƒ˜

๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ sibilant

๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ sibilante

Etymology

The word 'sibilant' originates from the Latin word 'sibilans', which means 'hissing'. This is a present participle of 'sibilare', which means 'to hiss'. The term has been adopted into English in the early 19th century, specifically in relation to phonetics and linguistics. As the study of sound production in speech evolved, 'sibilant' became essential for describing specific phonetic qualities that distinguish certain consonants in spoken language. The understanding of sibilants is crucial for language development, speech pathology, and the study of linguistics.

Word Frequency Rank

This word's position of #30,907 indicates it's among the more rare English words. While understanding it broadens your vocabulary, focus on more common words first.