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Glite Dictionary
consonant system

consonant system

7.5
All the sounds a language uses that are not vowels, like b and p
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒnsənənt ˈsɪstəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema consonántico
  • The English consonant system includes both voiced and voiceless sounds like /b/ and /p/.

Examples

  • Linguists compared the consonant systems of several indigenous languages in the region.

  • Children learning Spanish may find its consonant system simpler than that of Polish.

  • The consonant system is fascinating.

  • What is the consonant system of Mandarin?

  • The English consonant system includes both voiced and voiceless sounds like /b/ and /p/.

  • Children learning Spanish may find its consonant system simpler than that of Polish.

  • Linguists compared the consonant systems of several indigenous languages in the region.

Synonyms

consonantal system
vsconsonant system
  • Specialized
7.9

The set of consonant sounds a language uses and how they are arranged

focuses on listing every such sound rather than on organization

Surface Forms

consonant system singular
consonant systems plural

Morphology

consonant + system

The meaning is directly compositional: 'consonant' names the class of speech sounds and 'system' denotes a set or organized collection, so a B1 learner who knows both words can infer it refers to the set/organization of consonant sounds in a language. This noun‑noun compound follows common cross‑linguistic patterns for naming sound inventories, making the expression transparent.

Etymology

Consonant system names the complete group of consonant sounds a language uses. Think of consonant as sounds that make a small 'block' in the mouth (like p, t, k) and system as the whole 'set', so the phrase means the full collection of those consonant sounds in a language.