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Sibilant for Dummies

adjective

pronunciation: 'sɪbələnt

What does Sibilant really mean?

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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.

Revised and Fact checked by Daniel Clark on 2023-10-30 02:51:12

Sibilant In a sentece

Learn how to use Sibilant inside a sentece

  • The snake made a sibilant sound as it slithered through the grass.
  • I could hear the sibilant whispering of the leaves in the wind.
  • The steam escaping from the kettle created a sibilant sound.
  • The sibilant hiss of the radiator startled me in the quiet room.
  • When she spoke, her voice had a sibilant quality, with a soft 's' sound.

Sibilant Synonyms

Words that can be interchanged for the original word in the same context.

Sibilant Hypernyms

Words that are more generic than the original word.

Sibilant Similar Words

Words that similar to the original word, but are not synonyms.