labial

[ˈleɪ.bi.əl]

labial Definition

• 1. relating to the lips or to sounds made by the lips
• 2. a consonant sound that is produced using one or both lips

Using labial: Examples

Take a moment to familiarize yourself with how "labial" can be used in various situations through the following examples!

• Example

  The labial sounds in English are /p/, /b/, /m/, /w/.

• Example

  In phonetics, labialization is the rounding of the lips during the articulation of a vowel or consonant.

labial Synonyms and Antonyms

Synonyms for labial

• lip
• oral

Phrases with labial

• labial fricative

  a type of consonant sound that is produced by narrowing the air passage between two articulators, such as the lips

  Example

  The /f/ and /v/ sounds in English are labial fricatives.

• labial plosive

  a type of consonant sound that is produced by completely blocking the airflow with the lips and then releasing it suddenly

  Example

  The /p/ and /b/ sounds in English are labial plosives.

• labial assimilation

  a type of sound change in which a non-labial sound becomes labial due to the influence of a neighboring labial sound

  Example

  In some dialects of English, the /t/ sound in 'next door' becomes a labial sound due to the influence of the /p/ sound in 'up'.

Origins of labial

from Latin 'labium', meaning 'lip'

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Summary: labial in Brief

The term 'labial' [ˈleɪ.bi.əl] refers to sounds made by the lips or consonants produced using one or both lips. It is used to describe labial fricatives and labial plosives, which are types of consonant sounds. 'Labial' also extends into phrases like 'labial assimilation,' which describes a type of sound change.