Definition

Noun: A speech sound produced by a complete, momentary closure of the glottis (the space between the vocal cords), followed by a sudden release. It functions as a consonant, often marking the beginning of a vowel sound in certain languages or contexts.

Usage

The glottal stop is a phonetic feature, not a letter in the English alphabet. It is represented by the symbol [ʔ] in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). In English, it often appears in casual speech.

Examples

• In many dialects of British English, the glottal stop frequently replaces the /t/ sound in words like "water" [ˈwɔːʔə] or "butter" [ˈbʌʔə].
• The word "uh-oh" [ˈʌʔoʊ] contains a glottal stop between the two vowel sounds.
• In some languages, like Arabic, the glottal stop is a distinct consonant phoneme, as in the word "أكل" (ʾakala, meaning "he ate"), which begins with a glottal stop.

Advanced Usage

• Phonetic Transcription: In detailed phonetic transcriptions, the glottal stop symbol [ʔ] is used to mark its precise occurrence.
• Linguistic Analysis: Its presence or absence can be a key feature distinguishing dialects, sociolects, or levels of formality in speech.

Variants and Related Words

• Glottal (Adjective): Pertaining to the glottis. Example:
• Stop (Noun, in phonetics): A consonant sound made by completely blocking the airflow and then releasing it. The glottal stop is one type of stop consonant.
• Plosive: Another term for a stop consonant.

Synonyms

• Glottal plosive

Notes

The glottal stop is not typically considered a standard phoneme in General American or Received Pronunciation English but is a common allophone (a variant of a phoneme). Its use is often associated with informal speech patterns.

Noun

1. a stop consonant articulated by releasing pressure at the glottis; as in the sudden onset of a vowel