bilabial: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical / Academic
Quick answer
What does “bilabial” mean?
A speech sound produced using both lips.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A speech sound produced using both lips.
In phonetics, a consonant articulated with both lips. The term can also function as an adjective describing such sounds or the physical articulation itself.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Spelling and pronunciation are consistent.
Connotations
Purely technical, neutral in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both UK and US English, confined to linguistic and speech therapy contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “bilabial” in a Sentence
[bilabial] + [noun (e.g., consonant, sound)][adjective (e.g., voiced)] + [bilabial]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “bilabial” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The sounds /p/, /b/, and /m/ are all bilabial consonants.
- She described the bilabial articulation required for the phoneme.
American English
- In English, /p/ and /b/ are bilabial stops.
- The child had difficulty with bilabial sounds like /m/.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Used in linguistics, phonetics, speech pathology, and language acquisition research.
Everyday
Virtually never used in casual conversation.
Technical
Core term in phonetics for classifying consonants by place of articulation.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “bilabial”
- Mispronouncing it as /bɪˈlæb.i.əl/. The stress is on the second syllable: /baɪˈleɪ.bi.əl/.
- Using it as a general adjective for anything involving lips (e.g., 'bilabial smile' is incorrect).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, in standard phonetic terminology, 'bilabial' refers specifically to consonants. Vowels are not described using this term.
The primary bilabial consonants in English are the plosives /p/ and /b/, and the nasal /m/. The approximant /w/ also has bilabial involvement.
Yes, it can function as a countable noun (e.g., 'Bilabials are common in many languages') to refer to the sounds themselves.
'Bilabial' means two lips are used (e.g., /p, b, m/). 'Labiodental' means the lower lip touches the upper teeth (e.g., /f, v/).
A speech sound produced using both lips.
Bilabial is usually technical / academic in register.
Bilabial: in British English it is pronounced /ˌbaɪˈleɪ.bi.əl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌbaɪˈleɪ.bi.əl/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'BI' (two) + 'LABIAL' (relating to lips). A bilabial sound requires two lips to make.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A (Highly technical term).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a bilabial sound?