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Glite Dictionary
🔁 Word repetition ✌️ Double consonant
gemination

gemination

9.0
Pronouncing a consonant sound for longer or writing the letter twice to show a long sound
  • noun
  • /ˌdʒɛmɪˈneɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : geminación
  • The teacher explained how gemination affects pronunciation in Italian.

Examples

  • A gemination occurs in 'letter'.

  • In some languages, gemination can change the meaning of a word entirely.

  • Double letters in spelling often indicate gemination in spoken language.

  • The gemination in 'happy' is subtle.

  • In phonetics, gemination occurs when a consonant is pronounced for an audibly longer period than a singleton consonant.

  • The Arabic language uses gemination to differentiate between words by doubling consonants in pronunciation.

  • You can see gemination in the way Italian words are often pronounced with doubled consonants, like in 'bella'.

How Long

long
  • Specialized
225 4.9
gemination
  • Specialized
9.0

Surface Forms

gemination singular
geminations plural

Morphology

gemination = geminate (semi-transparent) = gemin + ation

Formally a regular noun from 'geminate' + '-ation' meaning 'the process/state of doubling', but the senses are technical and domain-specific.

Etymology

Gemination comes from the Latin root gemin- meaning 'twin' or 'double', the same root as Gemini, the star sign of the twins. That's why, in speech and writing, it means the 'doubling' of a consonant sound or of a letter, which can change how a word sounds or means.