Meaning & use
unvoicing
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Meanings
noununcountabletechnical
The process by which a speech sound that normally uses vocal cords becomes voiceless.
Grammar: Used as an uncountable noun: 'unvoicing occurs'. It rarely takes 'a' or a plural.
Patterns
- the unvoicing of a sound
- unvoicing occurs
- unvoicing in a language
In some languages, the unvoicing of final consonants is a regular rule.
Linguists studied the unvoicing of vowels in whispered speech.
The unvoicing of /b/ at the end of a word can make it sound like /p/.
verbtransitivetechnical
Present participle of 'unvoice': to pronounce a sound without vibration of the vocal cords.
Grammar: Used as part of the verb 'unvoice': unvoicing a sound means making it voiceless.
Patterns
- unvoicing a consonant
- unvoicing the sound
The speaker was unvoicing the final consonant without realizing it.
Unvoicing the /z/ sound turns it into /s/.
Common combinations
- unvoicing of consonants
- The unvoicing of consonants is common in some dialects.
- final unvoicing
- Final unvoicing makes the word end with a whisper.
- unvoicing rule
- The unvoicing rule applies before a pause.
Synonyms and how they differ
- devoicing
- Devoicing is the more common technical term for the same process; 'unvoicing' is less frequent but means the same in phonetics.
Opposites
Word family
- unvoice verb
- To pronounce a sound without vocal cord vibration.
- voiceless adjective
- Describing a sound produced without vocal cord vibration.
Commonly confused: unvoicing or voicing?
unvoicing vs voicing
'Voicing' is the opposite process, where the vocal cords vibrate; 'unvoicing' is when they stop vibrating.
Practice
In phonetics, the term for making a sound voiceless is _____.
Choose one answer.
'Unvoicing' is the process of making a sound voiceless. 'Voicing' is the opposite, and 'vocalizing' means using the voice, not removing vibration.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “unvoicing”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.