SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
fricative
noun
A speech sound made by forcing air through a narrow passage.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
CHOOSE WITH CARE
A useful distinction
Friction consonant is an explanatory equivalent. Continuant is broader and is not an exact synonym for every fricative.
A speech sound made by forcing air through a narrow passage
No close substitute is listed for this sense. The expressions below help explain the idea.
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topFriction consonant is an explanatory equivalent. Continuant is broader and is not an exact synonym for every fricative.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See fricative in use
The instructor used the sound at the start of fine to illustrate a fricative.
The learner practiced the fricative slowly before repeating the word.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license