sibilants
Snake-like speech sounds
Sibilants are speech sounds produced by forcing air through a narrow channel toward the teeth, creating a hissing effect.
The s and z sounds are sibilants, as are sh and the zh sound in *measure*.
The term appears mainly in linguistics and speech therapy: The child had difficulty producing sibilants clearly.
Consonants with audible turbulence
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
- consonantsLetters that aren't vowels
- articulationClear vocal expression
- phonologyScience of language sounds
voiceless · voiced · alveolar · palatal · phoneme · dental · aspiration · pronunciation
Sibilant pronunciation difficulty
- stammerSpeak with involuntary repetitions
- slurInsulting group label
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
- dictionChoice of words
elocution · pronunciation · accent · impediment · therapy · clarity · articulate · crisp
Matching initial consonants
- assonanceVowel sound repetition
- onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
- euphonyPleasant arrangement of sounds
- verseMetered poetic passage
prosody · rhythm · repetition · stylistic · literary · serpentine · sinuous
hiss
Sharp sibilant sound
swoosh · swish · whoosh · susurration · whisper · murmur · fizz · sizzle · steam · lisp
fricatives
Consonants with audible turbulence
- phoneticsStudy of speech sounds
- consonantsLetters that aren't vowels
- articulationClear vocal expression
phonology · voiceless · voiced · alveolar · palatal · phoneme · dental · aspiration · pronunciation · speech
lisp
Sibilant pronunciation difficulty
- stammerSpeak with involuntary repetitions
- slurInsulting group label
- enunciationClarity of spoken words
diction · elocution · pronunciation · accent · impediment · therapy · clarity · articulate · crisp · soft-spoken
alliteration
Matching initial consonants
- assonanceVowel sound repetition
- onomatopoeiaSound-imitating word formation
- euphonyPleasant arrangement of sounds
verse · prosody · rhythm · repetition · stylistic · literary · serpentine · sinuous