voiceless
Unable to speak
Voiceless describes those who lack the power or opportunity to speak for themselves or have their concerns heard: the voiceless poor, giving voice to the voiceless.
In phonetics, voiceless sounds are produced without vibrating the vocal cords—the difference between the buzzing *z* and the hissing *s*, or between *d* and *t*.
Unable to talk
- aphonicUnable to produce voice
- nonverbalNot using speech
- wordlessLacking spoken content
- tongue-tiedUnable to express oneself
inarticulate · dumb · silent · mutism · sign-language · gestural · unspeaking · aphasic
Lacking in sound
- hushedReduced to silence
- soundlessProducing no audible noise
- noiselessProducing no sound
- stillUnmoving, or continuing
muted · inaudible · whispered · soft · faint · unspoken · unuttered · unexpressed
Not perceived aurally
- silencedRendered unable to speak
- disenfranchisedDeprived of voting rights
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
- ignoredPurposely not noticed
invisible · marginalized · underrepresented · powerless · oppressed · disempowered · sidelined · excluded
speechless
Unable to talk
tongue-tied · inarticulate · dumb · silent · mutism · sign-language · gestural · unspeaking · aphasic · lip-reading
quiet
Lacking in sound
still · muted · inaudible · whispered · soft · faint · unspoken · unuttered · unexpressed · taciturn
unheard
Not perceived aurally
- silencedRendered unable to speak
- disenfranchisedDeprived of voting rights
- overlookedNot noticed or considered
ignored · invisible · marginalized · underrepresented · powerless · oppressed · disempowered · sidelined · excluded · dismissed
aspirate
Pronounce with expelled breath
- fricativeConsonant with audible friction
- plosiveConsonant with blocked release
- consonantIn agreement with
glottal · velar · sibilant · stop · fortis · affricate · alveolar · palatal · dental · bilabial
- phonationsfalsetto, whisper, murmur, aspirated, vibrato
- silencequiet, silent, mute, hush, stillness
- outsidersoutcast, outsider, outcasts, pariah, misfit
- marginalizedmarginalized, disenfranchised, outcasts, pariahs, oppressed
- Vulnerable Groupshomeless youth, orphans, refugees, disabled people, elderly poor
- underclasspoor, pauper, peasant, homeless, serf
voicelessvocal
Expressing views freely
speaking · talking · audible · talkative · loquacious
voicelessvocal
Expressing views freely
empowered · represented · heard · influential · articulate