epenthesis
[ uh-pen-thuh-sis ]
/ əˈpɛn θə sɪs /
Save This Word!
noun, plural ep·en·the·ses [uh-pen-thuh-seez]. /əˈpɛn θəˌsiz/.
the insertion of one or more sounds in the middle of a word, as the schwa in the nonstandard pronunciation [el-uhm] /ˈɛl əm/ of elm.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Origin of epenthesis
OTHER WORDS FROM epenthesis
ep·en·thet·ic [ep-uhn-thet-ik], /ˌɛp ənˈθɛt ɪk/, adjectiveWords nearby epenthesis
ependymal cell, ependymitis, ependymoblast, ependymocyte, ependymoma, epenthesis, epenthesize, epergne, epexegesis, epexegetic, EPG
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for epenthesis
Consicio, contrary to Epenthesis, is when somewhat is cutte of from the myddeste of the worde, as: Idolatry for Idololatry.
A Treatise of Schemes and Tropes|Richard SherryEpenthesis, e-pen′the-sis, n. the insertion of a letter or syllable within a word.
Epenthesis is the insertion of a sound which facilitates pronunciation, such as that of b in Fr.
The Romance of Names|Ernest Weekley
British Dictionary definitions for epenthesis
epenthesis
/ (ɛˈpɛnθɪsɪs) /
noun plural -ses (-ˌsiːz)
the insertion of a sound or letter into a word
Derived forms of epenthesis
epenthetic (ˌɛpɛnˈθɛtɪk), adjectiveWord Origin for epenthesis
C17: via Late Latin from Greek, from epentithenai to insert, from epi- + en- ² + tithenai to place
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