consonant

American  

[kon-suh-nuhnt] / ˈkɒn sə nənt /

noun

1. Phonetics.

   1. (in English articulation) a speech sound produced by occluding with or without releasing (p, b; t, d; k, g), diverting (m, n, ng), or obstructing (f, v; s, z, etc.) the flow of air from the lungs (opposed to vowel).

   2. (in a syllable) any sound other than the sound of greatest sonority in the syllable, as b, r, and g in brig (opposed to sonant).

   3. (in linguistic function) a concept empirically determined as a phonological element in structural contrast with vowel, as the b of be, the w of we, the y, s, and t of yeast, etc.

2. a letter that usually represents a consonant sound.

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adjective

1. in agreement; agreeable; in accord; consistent (usually followed by to orwith ).

   behavior consonant with his character.

   Synonyms:

   congruous, concordant

2. corresponding in sound, as words.

3. harmonious, as sounds.

4. Music. constituting a consonance.

   Antonyms:

   dissonant

5. Physics. noting or pertaining to sounds exhibiting consonance.

6. consonantal.

consonant British  

/ ˈkɒnsənənt /

noun

1. a speech sound or letter of the alphabet other than a vowel; a stop, fricative, or continuant

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adjective

1. (postpositive; foll by with or to) consistent; in agreement

2. harmonious in tone or sound

3. music characterized by the presence of a consonance

4. being or relating to a consonant

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• consonantly
  adverb
• consonantlike
  adjective
• unconsonant
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of consonant

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English consona(u)nt, from Anglo-French, from Latin consonant-, stem of consonāns “sounding together,” present participle of consonāre “to sound with or together”; equivalent to con- + sonant

Explanation

A consonant is a speech sound that is not a vowel. It also refers to letters of the alphabet that represent those sounds: Z, B, T, G, and H are all consonants. Consonants are all the non-vowel sounds, or their corresponding letters: A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y are not consonants. In hat, H and T are consonants. Consonant can also be an adjective that describes things that seem like they should go together, things that are "agreeable." You could say a nation's offer of aid is consonant with their treaties. When you hear consonant sounds in music, they are pleasing, the opposite of "dissonant" sounds which are harsh.

Example Sentences

In a milieu where dissonance had long been king, this was assertively consonant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

Now he seems to regret it—though he still hasn’t apologized directly or acknowledged that he was wrong, and is pretending that what he said earlier is consonant with what he’s saying now.

From Slate • Dec. 30, 2025

There is really no other option, dramatically speaking, or consonant with his character.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 26, 2024

In the Gluck rehearsal, Palumbo cautioned the group not to sit on one word’s final vowel, so that the next consonant could be more explosive.

From New York Times • May 21, 2024

“Nor are Duncan and Donalbain, who also share an initial and, for that matter, concluding, consonant, the same person.”

From "The Wednesday Wars" by Gary D. Schmidt