nasality

/nei'zæliti/

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Word: Nasality

Part of Speech: Noun

Definition: Nasality is a quality of the voice that occurs when sound resonates in the nasal passages. This can make a person's voice sound more muffled or "nasal," as if they are speaking through their nose.

Usage Instructions:

• You can use "nasality" to describe how someone sounds when they speak.
• It is often used in discussions about speech or voice quality, especially in singing or acting.

Example:

• "After catching a cold, his voice had a noticeable nasality, making it sound different from usual."

Advanced Usage:

• In linguistics or voice training, "nasality" can refer to specific phonetic qualities where certain sounds are produced with the nasal cavity, affecting how they are perceived.

Word Variants:

• Nasal (adjective): Describes something related to the nose or having a nasal quality. For example, "Her nasal tone was evident when she spoke."
• Nasalize (verb): To make a sound nasal. For example, "The singer learned to nasalize certain notes for effect."

Different Meanings:

• In medicine, "nasality" can sometimes refer to issues with the nasal passages affecting speech, such as allergies or a deviated septum.

Synonyms:

• Nasal quality
• Nasal tone
• Muffled voice

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• While there aren't specific idioms or phrasal verbs directly related to "nasality," you might encounter phrases like "talking through one's nose," which informally means to speak in a nasal voice.

Summary:

"Nasality" refers to a specific quality of voice that occurs when sound is produced by the nasal passages, often making it sound distinctive.

Academic

Noun

1. a quality of the voice that is produced by nasal resonators