consonants

Cultural

Letters of the alphabet that stand for sounds often made with a closed or partially closed mouth: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z, and sometimes Y (as in yellow). (Compare vowels.)

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.

I had more trouble with voiceless consonants than voiced ones—one of the sample sentences for this type of SD reduced my voice to a whisper on nearly every syllable.

From Slate • Apr. 18, 2026

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.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

In other words, scientists can predict what combination of consonants and vowels will be produced before the words are actually spoken.

From Science Daily • Feb. 1, 2024

At times, Puth's voice sounds "smudged" with consonants that are occasionally muddied and indistinct.

From BBC • Nov. 16, 2023

“The consonants would be horizontal then? And they would combine like this?”

From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss

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