Sonant

Relating to or characterized by sound; specifically, voiced. In phonetics, 'sonant' describes a speech sound produced with vibration of the vocal cords. This vibration is what distinguishes voiced sounds, like the 'z' in 'zebra' or the vowel sounds, from voiceless sounds, like the 's' in 'sip' or the 'p' in 'pat'. The sonant quality emphasizes the audible nature of a sound, making it clear and resonant. It’s a crucial term for understanding and analyzing speech production.

Sonant meaning with examples

• The linguist meticulously analyzed the sonant characteristics of the dialect, focusing on how the vocal cords vibrated to produce specific vowel and consonant sounds. She noted the subtle differences in the sonant qualities, revealing unique patterns of pronunciation within the community. The study aimed to map how this sonant variation impacted the meaning of words in the daily life.
• In the musical composition, the composer deliberately incorporated a range of sonant textures, contrasting the deep, sonant resonance of the cello with the lighter, less sonant sounds of the flute. This juxtaposition created a dynamic and engaging auditory experience, highlighting the variations that makes music expressive.
• The actor worked on projecting their voice with a clear, sonant delivery, ensuring that every syllable reached the back of the theater. His training emphasized control over the sonant energy of his voice, essential for delivering nuanced dramatic performances and making his speech more effective.
• During the speech therapy session, the therapist helped the patient practice sonant sounds, encouraging them to feel the vibrations in their throat to distinguish between voiced and voiceless sounds. The exercises were designed to improve clarity and articulation by focusing on the physical sensation of producing sonant sounds.
• When examining the audio recording, the forensic analyst focused on identifying the sonant elements to distinguish background noise from speech. The clarity and power of the sonant speech determined whether it would be viable to decode a specific word or phrase, and analyze the person speaking.