Definition

1. Noun:
   • A speech sound produced with vibration of the vocal cords: A "voiced sound" is a phonetic unit where the vocal folds in the larynx vibrate during its articulation, creating a characteristic buzzing or humming quality.

Usage

• The term "voiced sound" is used in phonetics and linguistics to classify speech sounds based on the activity of the vocal cords. It is the opposite of a "voiceless sound."
• It is typically used in technical descriptions of language sounds.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The sounds /b/, /d/, and /g/ are all voiced sounds.
  • In English, vowels are generally voiced sounds.
  • The phonetician explained the difference between a voiced sound and a voiceless one.

Advanced Usage

• Phonetic Context: In detailed phonetic transcription, the presence of voicing is a critical distinctive feature that can change the meaning of a word (e.g., the voiced /z/ in "zip" vs. the voiceless /s/ in "sip").

Variants and Related Words

• Voiced (adj): Describing a sound produced with vocal cord vibration.
  • The /v/ phoneme is a voiced labiodental fricative.
• Voiceless (adj): Describing a sound produced without vocal cord vibration. This is the antonym.
  • /f/ is the voiceless counterpart of the voiced /v/.

Synonyms

• Sonant (n, technical): A less common synonym in phonetics for a voiced sound.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• Voice Onset Time (VOT): A phonetic measurement related to the timing of vocal cord vibration relative to a consonant's release.
• Devoicing: The process where a normally voiced sound becomes voiceless in certain phonetic environments.

Noun

1. a speech sound accompanied by sound from the vocal cords