phonate

American

[foh-neyt] / ˈfoʊ neɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

phonated, phonating

Phonetics. to provide (a sound source, and hence the pitch) for a given voiced continuant or vowel, through rapid, periodic glottal action.
to vocalize.

phonate British

/ ˈfəʊnətərɪ, -trɪ, fəʊˈneɪt /

verb

(intr) to articulate speech sounds, esp to cause the vocal cords to vibrate in the execution of a voiced speech 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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of phonate

First recorded in 1875–80; phon- + -ate ¹

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.

The movements of the vocal cords should be observed during both respiration and phonation, and for the latter purpose the patient should be directed to phonate the vowel sound “eh.”

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

The ventricular bands or false vocal cords vicariously phonate in the absence of the true cords, and assist in the protective function of the larynx.

From Bronchoscopy and Esophagoscopy A Manual of Peroral Endoscopy and Laryngeal Surgery by Jackson, Chevalier

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