Diction terms

alveolar

Articulates with the tip of the tongue touching or near the ridge behind the upper teeth

implosion

A sudden collapse where an object or system breaks inward.

cognate

Words in different languages that share the same historical root; they sound similar and have the same meaning.

voiced consonant

A speech sound produced when the vocal cords vibrate

diphthong

A vowel unit made up of two pure vowels blended together to form a single vowel unit.

monophthong

Pure vowels where the tongue, jaw, and lips remain in a single, fixed position

approximant

A speech sound formed by the passage of air between two articulators

bilabial

A speech sound articulated using both the upper and lower lips

cardinal vowels

A universal set of reference vowel sounds not tied to any single language.

fricative

A sound produced by partially interrupting airflow, causing a noisy sound; examples include f, v, s, z.

elision

The omission of an unstressed vowel or syllable in a verse to achieve a uniform metrical pattern.

assimilation

Change of a sound in speech so that it becomes identical with or similar to a neighboring sound

schwa

An unstressed mid-central vowel sound represented by the symbol /ə/

plosive

A speech sound where airflow is completely prevented and then released suddenly; examples include p, b, k, g.

continuant

A speech sound produced without a complete closure of the vocal tract.

semi-consonant

A speech sound that sounds like a vowel but functions as a consonant

explosion

The sudden, audible release of trapped air after complete stop of airflow in the mouth; examples include p, b, t, d.

voiceless consonant

Produced by pushing air through the mouth without vibrating the vocal cords; examples include th, s, h, f.

aspirate

A consonant sound pronounced with a noticeable puff of breath following its release

soft palate

The flexible, muscular tissue at the back of the roof of the mouth.

hard palate

The rigid front of the roof of the mouth that separates oral from nasal cavities.

liaison

The act of linking words together in speech, creating a phonetic bridge to make speaking smoother; example: 'an apple'.

dental

A place of articulation made when the tongue touches or comes very close to the upper teeth, like the Spanish or Italian 't' and 'd'.

open vowel

A sound made with the mouth wide open and tongue low, allowing air to escape freely with no friction.

glottal stop

Occurs when vocal cords press together to stop air, building up for a sudden release; example: the 't' sound in 'button' or 'kitten'.

triphthong

A smooth, continuous glide of three vowel sounds within a single syllable