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Glite Dictionary
sibilant consonant

sibilant consonant

8.0
A speech sound that makes a hissing noise, like s or sh
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪbɪlənt ˈkɒnsənənt/
  • Specialized
translation icon : consonante sibilante
  • The sound of sibilant consonants can be heard in words like 'snake' and 'shell'.

Examples

  • She struggled to pronounce sibilant consonants clearly due to her speech impediment.

  • In phonetics, sibilant consonants create a distinct hissing sound, as heard in the word 'hiss'.

  • Linguists study how sibilant consonants vary across different languages.

  • Can you identify a sibilant consonant in this word?

  • What are some examples of sibilant consonants?

  • The pronunciation of sibilant consonants is important for clear speech in English.

  • Many students find sibilant consonants challenging, especially when learning a new language.

Synonyms

hissing
vssibilant consonant
44 2.6

A long sharp s sound made by animals, objects, or people to show disapproval

denotes the speech consonant type not any long sharp sound
sibilant
vssibilant consonant
  • Specialized
8.3

A speech sound that makes a hissing noise like s

is the technical name for that consonant category
sibilance
vssibilant consonant
  • Specialized
7.6

A sharp hissing sound in speech or recordings from s and sh sounds

refers specifically to the consonant itself rather than the general quality

Surface Forms

sibilant consonant singular
sibilant consonants plural

Morphology

sibilant + consonant

This is a straightforward adjective+noun composition: 'sibilant' (hissing) modifies 'consonant' (a non-vowel sound), so the meaning 'a consonant with a hissing/hushing quality' is directly derivable from the parts. The compositional pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common, so a learner who knows both constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Sibilant consonant comes from an old word that copied the sound of a hiss. Sibilant means 'hissing' and consonant means a speech sound, so sibilant consonant today names sounds like 's' and 'sh' that really sound like a soft hiss.