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Glite Dictionary
glottal stop

glottal stop

1 8.2
A sound you make by briefly stopping and releasing air at your voice box, like the break in 'uh-oh'
  • noun
  • /ˈɡlɒtəl stɒp/
  • Specialized
translation icon : parada glotal
  • The word 'uh-oh' includes a glottal stop at the end.

Examples

  • In general, in languages that have words beginning with a vowel, the vowel needs to be "launched," e.g., with a glottal stop, a 'w', a 'y', an 'h', an 'ng', etc. (unless a consonant at the end of a preceding word makes this unnecessary).

    Academic text (2001)

  • I managed to reintroduce I had a brutally bad glottal stop because yeah, you don't have really glottal stops that stand out.

  • The words employed many double glottal stops, a common feature of the ancient language of evil.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • "Did you hear the glottal stop?" she asks, smiling.

    Fiction book (2002)

  • You don't know how to reply: what is a glottal stop, exactly?

    Fiction book (2002)

  • At the glottal stop halfway through the name, Nandi's right hand flutters near his throat.

    Fiction book (2000)

  • In linguistics, a glottal stop is often represented by an apostrophe in writing.

  • Some speakers use a glottal stop in place of the 't' sound in words like 'button'.

Synonyms

glottal plosive
vsglottal stop
  • Specialized
9.6

A very short sound made by briefly closing and opening the voice box before a vowel

is the general description of that brief vocal cord blockage causing sudden vowel onsets
glottal catch
vsglottal stop
  • Specialized
9.9

A quick sound made by briefly closing and opening the vocal cords before a vowel

refers to the same brief throat closure but as a basic speech sound example

How Glottalized

glottal stop
  • Specialized
1 8.2
glottalization
  • Specialized
9.3
croaky
1 4.4
voiced sound
  • Specialized
4.1

Surface Forms

glottal stop singular
glottal stops plural

Morphology

glottal + stop

The noun is a straightforward compound: 'glottal' (pertaining to the glottis) qualifies 'stop' (a consonant produced by complete closure and release), so the meaning — a stop produced at the glottis — is directly derivable from the parts. This compositional pattern is standard and cross-linguistically common (many languages have a glottal stop), so a learner who knows the constituent words can understand the term despite its technical nature.

Etymology

Glottal stop is named for the tiny stop made when the glottal part of the throat briefly stops the air and then opens, like the quick break in 'uh-oh'. That's why it means a short pause or 'stop' of sound in speech, and why it can replace the 't' in words like 'bottle'.