Definition

A sound in speech that is made with a burst of breath, often seen in certain consonants, or the puff of air that comes with the release of these sounds.

Example

In linguistics, the letter 'h' is an example of an aspirate sound.

Conversation

Did you know that the sound of the letter 'h' is considered an aspirate?

Really? I never thought about it that way before.

Yeah, it's interesting how some speech sounds have that puff of air.

It makes sense, especially when you think about how we pronounce words like 'hat'!

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

To pronounce a sound with a strong burst of breath or to remove a liquid or gas from the body using suction.

Example

The doctor had to aspirate the fluid from the patient's lungs.

Tense Forms

Conversation

Did you know that you can aspirate liquid from a wound to help it heal?

Really? I had no idea that was a thing.

Yeah, it’s pretty useful in medicine to remove excess fluid.

Root Explanation

Aspirate → It is formed from "aspirare" (from Latin, meaning to breathe) and the suffix "-ate" (indicating a verb). The word "aspirate" means to breathe in or to pronounce a sound with an exhalation of breath.

Memory Tip

Think of 'breathing' ('aspirare') when you pronounce a sound with a strong breath — that's what aspirate means.

Visually Confused Words