What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
spirant
Example
The 'h' sound in 'hat' is a spirant. [spirant: noun]
Example
She pronounced the word 'shoe' with a spirant 'sh' sound. [spirant: adjective]
fricative
Example
The 'f' sound in 'fish' is a fricative. [fricative: noun]
Example
He made a fricative 's' sound when he said the word 'sister'. [fricative: adjective]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Fricative is a more commonly used term than spirant in everyday language, especially in the context of language learning and linguistics.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between spirant and fricative?
Both spirant and fricative are technical terms used in linguistics and phonetics, making them more formal in nature. However, fricative is more versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
