noun
- Consonant sounds produced by bringing the lower lip into contact with the upper front teeth, such as /f/ and /v/ in English.
Usage: linguistics; phonetics; plural form
Examples
- The sounds /f/ and /v/ are classified as labiodentals in English phonetics.
- Labiodentals are produced by placing the lower lip against the upper teeth.
- In the word 'five,' both the initial /f/ and final /v/ are labiodentals.
- Linguists study labiodentals as part of consonant classification systems.
- The /f/ sound in 'fun' is one of the most common labiodentals in English.