OBSTRUENT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does obstruent mean? 

• OBSTRUENT (noun)
  The noun OBSTRUENT has 1 sense:

1. a consonant that is produced with a partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the lungs through the nose or mouth

  Familiarity information: OBSTRUENT used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• OBSTRUENT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A consonant that is produced with a partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the lungs through the nose or mouth

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("obstruent" is a kind of...):

consonant (a speech sound that is not a vowel)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "obstruent"):

occlusive; plosive; plosive consonant; plosive speech sound; stop; stop consonant (a consonant produced by stopping the flow of air at some point and suddenly releasing it)

continuant; continuant consonant (consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract)

affricate; affricate consonant; affricative (a composite speech sound consisting of a stop and a fricative articulated at the same point (as 'ch' in 'chair' and 'j' in 'joy'))