Antevocalic

/ˌæntiːvoʊˈkælɪk/ adjective

Definition

In linguistics, describing a phonetic position or context that occurs before a vowel sound.

Etymology

From Latin 'ante' (before) + 'vocalis' (relating to voice/vowels, from 'vox' meaning voice). This linguistic term combines the spatial prefix with the vowel root.

Kelly Says

Linguists use 'antevocalic' to describe how certain consonants behave differently depending on whether a vowel follows—for example, the 'r' sound in English works differently in antevocalic positions, which is why some accents drop it before vowels.

Related Words

Explore More Words

Get the Word Orb API

Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.