Spanish Conversation · Level 121
60 words
Spanish word
consonante
Pronunciation
IPA/konsoˈnante/
Meaning
- feminine nounconsonant
Example
La palabra empieza con una consonante.
The word begins with a consonant.
More examples
¿La palabra termina en consonante?
Does the word end in a consonant?
Core concept
Non-vowel sound.
Common phrases
empieza con consonante
starts with a consonant
termina en consonante
ends in a consonant
la consonante final
final consonant
Similar words
vocal: Sound that forms with an open vocal tract and vibrating vocal cords.
letra: Single written character that represents a speech sound or part of a word.
sonido: Audible vibration that the ear perceives from any source.
fonema: Smallest sound unit whose change distinguishes one word from another.
Definition in Spanish
Letra del alfabeto que representa un sonido consonántico; por extensión, el sonido consonántico en sí mismo.
Word origin
From Latin consonans 'sounding together', the present participle of consonare, the word entered Spanish via medieval Latin and denotes both consonant sounds and the letters that represent them.
Usage tips
- Spanish orthography is largely phonemic, so letters usually match sounds, but watch specific traps: b and v often share a sound, h is silent, and digraphs like ch count as single consonants.
Other meanings
- consonant letternoun
- in agreementadjective
Opposites
- vocalvowelnoun