verb
- to pronounce or convert (a sound) into a sibilant sound, especially to change a stop consonant into a fricative or affricate
Usage: linguistics; phonetics
Examples
- In some dialects, the /t/ sound assibilates to /ts/ before certain vowels.
- Historical sound changes caused the Latin /k/ to assibilate into /θ/ in Spanish.
- The linguist explained how the consonant assibilates in rapid speech.
- When speakers assibilate the affricate, the articulation becomes more fricative-like.
- The phonological rule assibilates stops in intervocalic position.