Sibilant for Dummies

Sibilant is a word that describes a particular sound, a sound that resembles a hissing or a swishing noise. It's like the sound of air rushing softly through a tiny opening. You hear this sound when you make the "s" and "sh" sounds in words like "snake," "sash," or "hush." It's kind of like when you hear a gentle whisper or the gentle rustling of leaves in a quiet forest.

Now, let's break it down a bit more. When you say the word "sibilant," your mouth forms a shape that allows air to pass through a narrow space, resulting in that distinctive sound. Your tongue may touch the roof of your mouth, right behind your front teeth, and the air flows out making that hissing, swishing noise. It's a bit like when you blow gently on a candle flame and it flickers or when you blow softly on a spoon to make a sound.

Sibilant sounds can also be found in other languages. For example, in Spanish, the letter "s" is often pronounced with a strong sibilant sound, so words like "se," "salud," and "sol" will have that hissing-like quality.

It's important to understand what sibilant means because it helps us distinguish between sounds and words. Imagine if we didn't have a word to describe the hissing sounds like "s" and "sh." It would be really hard to talk about them or explain how they are different from other sounds. Using the word sibilant allows us to communicate more clearly and helps us understand the beautiful complexities of language.