Dictionary.com

consonant

[ kon-suh-nuhnt ]
/ ˈkɒn sə nənt /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: consonant / consonants / consonantly on Thesaurus.com

noun

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).Compare vowel (def. 1b).
  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.
a letter that usually represents a consonant sound.

adjective

QUIZZES

QUIZ YOURSELF ON “ITS” VS. “IT’S”!

Apostrophes can be tricky; prove you know the difference between it’s and its in this crafty quiz!
Question 1 of 12
On the farm, the feed for chicks is significantly different from the roosters’; ______ not even comparable.
it's
its
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of consonant

1350–1400; Middle English consona(u)nt (<Anglo-French ) <Latin consonant- (stem of consonāns, present participle of consonāre to sound with or together). See con-, sonant

OTHER WORDS FROM consonant

con·so·nant·like, adjectivecon·so·nant·ly, adverbun·con·so·nant, adjective

Words nearby consonant

consolidator, consols, consolute, consommé, consonance, consonant, consonantal, consonantalize, consonantism, consonantize, consonants
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

Content related to consonant

How To Help Early Readers With The Different Types Of Syllables And VowelsLearning to read is as easy as A-B-C once you know how to decipher the different vowels and syllable sounds in a word. As well as figuring out that pesky Y.
READ MORE

Words related to consonant

agnate, correspondent, like, uniform, parallel, blending, accordant, akin, alike, analogous, coincident, comparable, compatible, conformable, congenial, congruous, corresponding, harmonious, similar, suitable

Example sentences from the Web for consonant

British Dictionary definitions for consonant

consonant
/ (ˈkɒnsənənt) /

noun

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

adjective

(postpositive; foll by with or to) consistent; in agreement
harmonious in tone or sound
music characterized by the presence of a consonance
being or relating to a consonant

Derived forms of consonant

consonantly, adverb

Word Origin for consonant

C14: from Latin consonāns, from consonāre to sound at the same time, be in harmony, from sonāre to sound
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
Get Online Help For Kids!