spirant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical
Quick answer
What does “spirant” mean?
A consonant produced with a continuous, friction-producing airflow through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A consonant produced with a continuous, friction-producing airflow through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract.
In linguistics/phonetics, a technical term for a fricative consonant (e.g., /f/, /v/, /s/, /z/, /θ/, /ð/). It can also be used in historical contexts to describe the sound change from a stop consonant to a fricative.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in meaning or usage. Both varieties use it exclusively as a technical term.
Connotations
Highly technical, academic.
Frequency
Extremely low in both varieties, limited to phonetic and phonological literature.
Grammar
How to Use “spirant” in a Sentence
[Adj.] spirantspirant [noun]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “spirant” in a Sentence
noun
British English
- The Old English /f/ was a voiceless labiodental spirant.
- The phonological process involved the lenition of stops to spirants.
American English
- In this context, /θ/ functions as a dental spirant.
- The sound change produced a series of interdental spirants.
adverb
British English
- It was articulated spirantly.
- The consonant weakened spirantly over time.
American English
- The stop was pronounced spirantly in that environment.
- It developed spirantly from an earlier affricate.
adjective
British English
- The spirant quality of the phoneme was evident.
- They noted a spirant allophone of the plosive.
American English
- A spirant articulation was recorded.
- The spirant variant occurred in intervocalic position.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not used.
Academic
Core technical term in phonetics/phonology.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Essential term for describing a major class of speech sounds.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “spirant”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “spirant”
- Pronouncing it as /spɪrənt/.
- Using it in general conversation.
- Confusing it with 'aspirant'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In modern mainstream phonetics, they are essentially synonyms. 'Spirant' is an older term still used in historical linguistics, while 'fricative' is more common in contemporary descriptive phonetics.
Only if you are studying or writing about phonetics, phonology, or the history of languages. It is not a word for general English use.
English sounds like /f/ (fan), /v/ (van), /θ/ (thin), /ð/ (this), /s/ (sun), /z/ (zero), /ʃ/ (shoe), and /ʒ/ (pleasure) are all spirants/fricatives.
An affricate (like /tʃ/ in 'chip' or /dʒ/ in 'jam') is a combination of a stop followed immediately by a spirant/fricative release at the same place of articulation. A pure spirant involves only the continuous friction, not the initial stop closure.
A consonant produced with a continuous, friction-producing airflow through a narrow constriction in the vocal tract.
Spirant is usually technical in register.
Spirant: in British English it is pronounced /ˈspaɪərənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈspaɪrənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
SPIRANT: Sounds Prolonged with IRritating friction ANTicipate noise.
Conceptual Metaphor
A SPIRANT is a HISSING/WINDY SOUND.
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'spirant'?