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

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 3, 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

It was a not unbewitching sound, a mix of flute and bassoon, my consonants slightly slurred, a rush and breathiness to most of my pronouncements.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides