consonant
consonant — noun
1. a sound produced when the breath from your lungs is partly or fully blocked by y
a sound produced when the breath from your lungs is partly or fully blocked by your lips, tongue, or teeth, or a written sign that stands for such a sound
The word 'dog' begins with a consonant, but 'apple' starts with a vowel.
countable noun; contrasted with vowel
Nicholas found it hard to say the consonant 'th' because his first language does not have that sound.
consonant as a specific speech sound
Children in the class wrote each consonant of the alphabet twice in their notebooks.
The letter 'y' can act as either a vowel or a consonant depending on its position.
Aoi's name starts with a vowel sound, but Emre's name begins with a consonant.
- vowel
the other main category of speech sounds, made with an open airflow
常見錯誤
consonant — adjective
1. matching or fitting well with a particular idea, system, or set of beliefs; not
matching or fitting well with a particular idea, system, or set of beliefs; not causing any conflict
The company's new rules were consonant with the values stated in its founding documents.
be consonant with + noun phrase
Jessica found that the job offer was consonant with her long-term career goals.
A policy that harms poor families is not consonant with the idea of fairness.
Ilan's explanation of what happened was not consonant with the evidence the police collected.
- consistent
more common in everyday language; 'consonant' is more formal and less frequent
- compatible
emphasises that two things can exist together without problems; 'consonant' suggests a closer, more harmonious fit
- harmonious
more poetic; implies active agreement rather than just the absence of conflict
- inconsistent
direct opposite; far more common than the antonym 'dissonant'
- discordant
stronger; suggests active conflict or clashing
文法句型
be consonant with [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Almost always used with the preposition 'with.' The subject is typically an action, rule, or policy, and the object is typically a principle, value, or standard.
常見錯誤
2. describing a combination of musical notes that sounds pleasant and complete when
describing a combination of musical notes that sounds pleasant and complete when played together, because of the way their frequencies relate to each other
Tara preferred consonant chords in her piano pieces, avoiding the sharp sound of dissonance.
contrasted with dissonance
A major third is considered a consonant interval in Western music theory.
The guitarist played a series of consonant notes that gave the audience a calm, settled feeling.
In the piece, the composer moved from a tense dissonant passage into a consonant resolution.
- harmonious
broader in meaning; 'consonant' is the technical term in music theory
- euphonious
describes any pleasing sound; 'consonant' specifically refers to the relationship between notes
- dissonant
the direct opposite; describes notes that create tension or an unstable feeling
用法筆記
Commonly contrasted with 'dissonant' in discussions of harmony. The most consonant intervals are the octave, fifth, and major third.
常見錯誤
3. relating to a pattern in which the same consonant sound appears more than once i
relating to a pattern in which the same consonant sound appears more than once in a line or phrase, especially in poetry or song lyrics
The line 'sweet sleep soft falls' uses a consonant pattern with the repeated 's' sound.
consonant pattern with repeated [sound]
Lien noticed that the repeated 'l' and 'f' sounds made the poem feel gentle and flowing.
Rap lyrics often rely on consonant sounds to create rhythm and energy in the delivery.
The poet used a consonant match between 'bright' and 'brave' to link the two ideas.
- alliterative
more specific; refers only to repeated sounds at the start of words, whereas 'consonant' can apply to any position
- assonant
refers to repeated vowel sounds rather than consonant sounds
用法筆記
Distinguish from 'alliteration,' which repeats the initial sound of words. 'Consonant' patterns can occur anywhere in a word, not just at the beginning.
常見錯誤
4. producing or having a deep, full, echoing sound that seems to vibrate and last f
producing or having a deep, full, echoing sound that seems to vibrate and last for a noticeable time
The old wooden hall had a consonant warmth that made every cello note sound rich and full.
consonant describing acoustic quality of a space
Maja's voice had a consonant depth that made everyone in the room stop talking to listen.
The bell's consonant tone travelled across the whole valley and slowly faded away.
Dahlia loved the consonant echo in the stone cave when she sang a single quiet note.
- dull
describes a sound that is flat and lacks richness or echo
用法筆記
This sense overlaps partially with 'resonant' but is far less common. It typically describes the acoustic quality of a space or an object rather than of the human voice or musical composition.