noun
- Plural of nonvocal; sounds or phonetic elements that are not vowels, such as consonants.
Usage: linguistics; technical term
Examples
- In phonetics, nonvocals include stops, fricatives, and nasals.
- The linguist analyzed the distribution of nonvocals across different languages.
- English has many more nonvocals than vowels in its consonant inventory.
- Children learning to read must distinguish between vocals and nonvocals.
- The study focused on how nonvocals are articulated in the mouth.