consonant

[kon-suh-nuhnt]

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 (vowel ).

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

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

/ ˈkɒnsənənt /

noun

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

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

• consonantlike adjective
• consonantly adverb
• unconsonant adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of consonant¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of consonant¹

C14: from Latin consonāns, from consonāre to sound at the same time, be in harmony, from sonāre to sound

Example Sentences

“To supplement not having F and V and Th and M, we have consonant clusters like jl and cht … that we don’t have in English, but they can be made lower in the throat.”

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To create an otherworldly voice, Elordi studied Tibetan throat singing and incorporated the slurred consonants caused by dentures he’d been given for the role.

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Even to native English speakers, the transliteration of familiar words into an alphabet with imperfectly matched consonants — lacking, for example, a precise “F” or “R” sound — can be confusing.

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

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Her characters would crash down on consonants, as though landing a plane in the midst of an engine blowout or stretch out vowels in defiance of several laws of physics.

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