Definition

Describing a sound that is hissing or characterized by a high-pitched, sharp quality, often associated with the letters 's' or 'sh'.

Example

The sibilant sounds in the poem created a soothing effect as I read it aloud.

Conversation

Did you hear that bird outside?

Yeah, it has such a sibilant call, doesn’t it?

Exactly! It’s like it’s trying to communicate with us.

I love those sounds; they make the morning feel so lively.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Definition

A type of speech sound that is characterized by a hissing or hushing quality, like the sounds made by the letters s, sh, z, and zh.

Example

In phonetics, a sibilant is a sound that creates a high-frequency noise, such as the 's' in 'snake'.

Conversation

Have you ever noticed how the letter 's' creates a sibilant sound?

Yeah, it's interesting how some sounds are sharper than others.

Exactly! I think those sibilant sounds make speech more dynamic.

Root Explanation

Sibilant → It is formed from "sibilare" (meaning to hiss) and the suffix "-ant" (indicating an agent or something that performs an action). The word "sibilant" refers to a sound that hisses or is characterized by a hissing quality, like the sound of 's' or 'sh'.

Memory Tip

Think of the word 'sibilare' which means to hiss, and remember that a sibilant sound is one that has a hissing quality.

Visually Confused Words