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Nasality for Dummies

noun

pronunciation: neɪ'zælɪti

What does Nasality really mean?

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Nasality refers to the quality of sound that is produced when air passes through the nose while speaking. You see, when we speak, the sounds we make usually come from our vocal cords, which are located in our throat. These sounds then travel through our mouth, where they are shaped and formed by different parts, like our tongue and lips, to create specific words and sounds.

However, sometimes, instead of all the sound coming out of our mouths, some of it sneaks out through our nose too. This is called nasality. It's like when you're drinking a smoothie and it starts to dribble out of the straw and not only into your mouth. In speech, it means that some of the sounds we make are escaping through our nose, making our speech sound a little different.

For example, let's say you're saying the word "man." Normally, the air from your lungs would pass through your vocal cords, creating the sound "mmm" as you say the "m" sound. Then, the air would pass through your mouth, shaping the "an" sound. But if you have nasality, a little bit of the air might sneak out through your nose when you're saying the "m" sound, so instead of "man," it might sound a bit more like "hmm." It's like a little detour for some of the air on its way out.

Nasality can be natural for some sounds, like the sounds we make when we say certain letters like "m" and "n." These sounds actually rely on a small amount of air passing through the nose to be pronounced correctly. But when nasality happens with other sounds that aren't supposed to be nasal, like "p" and "k," it can make our speech sound a bit odd or different.

So, when we talk about "nasality," we are talking about the quality of sound that comes out of our nose as we speak, whether it's intentional or not. It's like an extra pathway for the air to escape, which can sometimes change the way our speech sounds to others.

Revised and Fact checked by Mia Harris on 2023-10-29 11:37:48

Nasality In a sentece

Learn how to use Nasality inside a sentece

  • When someone has a stuffy nose and speaks with a nasal sound, they are showing nasality.
  • If you pinch your nose while speaking, your voice will have a nasal sound, which is nasality.
  • Some languages have specific nasal sounds, like the 'n' and 'm' sounds, which demonstrate nasality.
  • When a singer intentionally sings with a nasal sound for a particular effect in a song, they are using nasality.
  • If you try to speak with a blocked or closed nose, the sound that comes out will have a nasal quality, which is nasality.

Nasality Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Nasality Hyponyms

Words that are more specific than the original word.