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Glite Dictionary
oral consonant

oral consonant

6.3
A speech sound made when air leaves only through the mouth, not the nose
  • noun
  • /ˈɔrəl ˈkɒnsənənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : consonante oral
  • When you say the word 'cat', the 't' is an example of an oral consonant.

Examples

  • English has many oral consonant sounds, such as 't', 'p', and 'k'.

  • An oral consonant is produced with airflow through the mouth.

  • The distinction between a nasal and an oral consonant can be subtle for language learners.

  • Can you identify the oral consonants in this word?

  • English has many oral consonant sounds, such as 't', 'p', and 'k'.

  • When you say the word 'cat', the 't' is an example of an oral consonant.

  • The distinction between a nasal and an oral consonant can be subtle for language learners.

How Nasal

nasal consonant
  • Specialized
4.5
oral consonant
  • Specialized
6.3

Surface Forms

oral consonant singular
oral consonants plural

Morphology

oral + consonant

The meaning is directly compositional: 'oral' (pertaining to the mouth) combined with 'consonant' (a type of speech sound) yields a consonant produced through the mouth. This is a straightforward, cross-linguistically common distinction (oral vs nasal consonants), so a B1 learner who knows both words will likely infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

The term oral consonant names a sound where air goes out only through the mouth; oral means 'mouth' and consonant means a speech sound like 't' or 'p'. So, it means 'a consonant produced through the mouth, not the nose'.