aphonic

American

[ey-fon-ik, ey-foh-nik] / eɪˈfɒn ɪk, eɪˈfoʊ nɪk /

adjective

mouthed but not spoken; noiseless; silent.
Phonetics.
1. lacking phonation; unvoiced.
2. without voice; voiceless.
Pathology. affected with aphonia.

noun

Pathology. a person who is affected with aphonia.

aphonic British

/ əˈfɒnɪk /

adjective

affected with aphonia
phonetics
1. not representing a spoken sound, as k in know
2. voiceless or devoiced

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of aphonic

1820–30; < Greek áphōn ( os ) voiceless ( see aphonia) + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A tracheotomic case may be aphonic, hence unable to call for help.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023