consonants

Cultural  

1. 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.)

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Example Sentences

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

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 27, 2024

The women did not attempt to imitate instruments but instead used humming for sounds and consonants to obtain a sense of rhythm.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2024

Jake steps in, using the same lie I gave him; he speaks faster than usual, his consonants not as crisp.

From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed