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consonant

Pronunciation: /ˈkɒns(ə)nənt/

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Definition of consonant

noun

  • a basic speech sound in which the breath is at least partly obstructed and which can be combined with a vowel to form a syllable: Contrasted with vowel.fricatives are by far the largest group of English consonants
  • a letter representing a consonant.

adjective

  • 1 [attributive] denoting or relating to a consonant:a consonant phoneme
  • 2 (consonant with) in agreement or harmony with:the findings are consonant with other research
  • Music making a harmonious interval or chord:the bass is consonant with all the upper notes

Derivatives

consonantal

Pronunciation: /-ˈnant(ə)l/

adjective

consonantly

adverb

Origin:

Middle English (in the sense 'letter representing a consonant'): via Old French from Latin consonare 'sound together', from con- 'with' + sonare 'to sound' (from sonus 'sound')

Grammar

WritingThere are 21 consonant letters:b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x y z SpeechIn speech a consonant is a sound that is made by blocking the flow of air while speaking. For example, the first sound in the word mark is made by closing the lips briefly, while the last sound is made by pressing the blade of the tongue up against the hard palate. There are 22 consonants in spoken English. They are the first sounds in each of the following words:

batcharcutdipfatguthot
jarlatemeetneatpatrateship
sipthatthingtipvatzip
plus the sounds in the following words marked by letters in bold type:measure sing Two other sounds are sometimes called consonants and sometimes semivowels. They are the first sounds in these words:win young

Spelling help

The ending of consonant is spelled -ant.

consonant in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of consonant in the US English dictionary