Meaning & use
coarticulation
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The way the mouth prepares for or is influenced by neighboring speech sounds, so that sounds overlap and change slightly in fluent speech.
Grammar: Usually uncountable: coarticulation occurs in fast speech, but you can say coarticulation effects.
Patterns
- coarticulation of something
- coarticulation between sounds
Coarticulation explains why the k in key and the k in cool sound a little different.
Speech recognition software has to cope with coarticulation between words.
Fast speech increases the amount of coarticulation.
noununcountabletechnical
The producing of two speech sounds at the same time, using two parts of the mouth, as in a sound like w.
Grammar: Used mainly in technical descriptions of consonants, often with a double articulation.
Patterns
- secondary coarticulation
Some textbooks describe w as showing coarticulation of lip rounding and a back tongue gesture.
The linguist noted coarticulation in the vowel sequence.
Coarticulation of lip rounding colors the consonant in swoon.
Word forms
| plural | coarticulations |
|---|
Common combinations
- effects of coarticulation
- The effects of coarticulation are visible in the recording.
- anticipatory coarticulation
- Anticipatory coarticulation lets the lips round before the vowel.
- model coarticulation
- Speech scientists model coarticulation with computers.
- study coarticulation
- She studies coarticulation in children's speech.
- coarticulation effects
- Coarticulation effects change how vowels sound.
Synonyms and how they differ
- assimilation
- Assimilation usually describes a sound taking on features of a neighbor so that it changes category, while coarticulation is the broader, often tiny overlap in movement.
- overlap
- Overlap is an everyday word that could describe any combined events, while coarticulation is specific to speech sounds.
Word family
- articulation noun
- the formation of clear speech sounds
- articulate verb
- to pronounce clearly or express in words
- coarticulate verb
- to overlap the production of neighboring speech sounds
- coarticulated adjective
- produced with overlapping articulation
Commonly confused: coarticulation or articulation?
coarticulation vs articulation
Articulation is the general shaping of speech sounds. Coarticulation refers to the overlap and influence between sounds next to each other.
Practice
What does coarticulation explain?
Choose one answer.
Coarticulation is the overlap of movements between sounds that sit next to each other. Spelling, meaning change and accents are different topics.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “coarticulation”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.