Other Definitions
sibilant consonant (dict)
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Sibilant ConsonantA sibilant is a type of fricative, made by speeding up air through a narrow channel and directing it over the sharp edge of the teeth. English sibilants are . Sibilants are louder than their non-sibilant counterparts, and most of their acoustic energy (the frication, in the case of fricatives) occurs at higher frequences than non-sibilant fricatives. has the most acoustic strength at around 8,000 Hz, but can reach as high as 10,000 Hz. has the bulk of its acoustic energy at around 4,000 Hz, but can extend up to around 8,000 Hz. The sibilant/non-sibilant distinction is especially important in English. Most people consciously know that to pluralize a regular English noun, they simply add an -s to it. But what they know only subconciously is that English plurals can take three forms (allomorphs), those being and occurs after most voiceless sounds, and occurs after most voiced sounds. The sequence fills in the rest, and occurs after sibilants. Thus, distinguishing between sibilants and non-sibilants is extremely important in English.
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