SIBILANCES Meaning and
Definition
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Sibilances refer to the audible hissing or whispering sounds produced when certain letters or speech sounds are pronounced with an intense airflow or constriction of the tongue, teeth, or lips. Specifically, the term is commonly used to describe the audible sound created by sibilant consonants, which include the letters 's', 'z', 'sh', 'zh', 'ch', and 'j' in the English language.
In linguistic terms, sibilance is associated with the phonetic feature known as stridency, where there is a high-pitched, hissing quality to the sound produced. The intensity of the sibilant sound is primarily due to the rapid and turbulent release of the air. It is often used as a descriptive term in phonetics or speech analysis to denote the presence or quality of sibilant sounds.
Sibilances can vary in intensity and clarity, depending on factors such as the specific consonant or consonant blend being pronounced, the speaker's accent or dialect, and the surrounding sounds or context of the speech. Proper articulation and control of sibilant sounds are crucial for effective communication and clear speech production. Techniques such as modified pronunciation or speech therapy may be employed to minimize or eliminate excessive sibilance, especially if it significantly impairs comprehensibility or causes discomfort to the speaker or listener.
Common Misspellings for SIBILANCES
- sibilance
- aibilances
- zibilances
- xibilances
- dibilances
- eibilances
- wibilances
- subilances
- sjbilances
- skbilances
- sobilances
- s9bilances
- s8bilances
- sivilances
- sinilances
- sihilances
- sigilances
- sibulances
- sibjlances
- sibklances
Etymology of SIBILANCES
The word sibilance is derived from the Latin word sibilantia, which is the present participle of the verb sibilare, meaning to hiss or to whistle.
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