antevocalic
|an-te-vo-cal-ic|
🇺🇸
/ˌæn.tiˈvoʊ.kəlɪk/
🇬🇧
/ˌæn.tiˈvəʊ.kəlɪk/
before a vowel
Etymology
'antevocalic' originates from Latin elements: the prefix 'ante-' (Latin 'ante') meaning 'before' and from Latin 'vocalis' meaning 'vocal, of the voice'.
'antevocalic' developed as a technical compound from Latin elements (compare Medieval/Neo-Latin 'antevocalis') and entered English use as a specialised linguistic term in modern descriptive phonology.
Initially it literally meant 'before the vowel' in formation; this literal sense has been retained and specialised in linguistic usage to describe position relative to vowel sounds.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a sound (usually a consonant) that occurs before a vowel; the property of being antevocalic.
The antevocalic in that word is the consonant /h/.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Adjective 1
occurring immediately before a vowel (sound); placed in a position preceding a vowel.
In some dialects, an antevocalic /h/ is often dropped.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/23 13:44