Anaptyctic

/ˌænəpˈtɪktɪk/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or characterized by anaptyxis; involving the insertion of a vowel sound to ease pronunciation.

Etymology

From anaptyxis, Greek ana- (back, again) + ptyx- (fold); the linguistic term describes how languages add vowels to break up consonant clusters.

Kelly Says

When English speakers say 'ath-a-lete' instead of 'athlete,' that's anaptyctic—we're unconsciously doing what ancient languages did routinely to make words easier to pronounce.

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