spirant
pronunciation
How to pronounce spirant in British English:
UK [ˈspaɪərənt]
How to pronounce spirant in American English:
US [ˈspaɪrənt]
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- Noun:
- a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract
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- Adjective:
- of speech sounds produced by forcing air through a constricted passage (as `f', `s', `z', or `th' in both `thin' and `then')
Word Origin
- spirant (n.)
- breathy consonant, 1862, from Latin spirantem (nominative spirans) "breathing," present participle of spirare "to breathe, blow" (see spirit (n.)).
Example
- 1. Owing to the presence in the dutch word of the unfamiliar guttural spirant ...... the english spellings have been various and erratic ; how far they represent varieties of pronunciation it is difficult to say .