devoice

D2E1V4O1I1C3E1
/ˌdiːˈvɔɪs/

verb

To pronounce a sound with little or no vibration of the vocal cords, especially a sound that is normally pronounced with such vibration (i.e. a voiced sound).

Opposite
voice
OriginEnglish voice ← Middle English voys ← Anglo-Norman voiz →
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

verbdevoice (third-person singular simple present devoices, present participle devoicing, simple past and past participle devoiced)

present singular third person devoices · participle present devoicing · participle past devoiced · past devoiced

  1. transitivehuman sciencesTo pronounce a sound with little or no vibration of the vocal cords, especially a sound that is normally pronounced with such vibration (i.e. a voiced sound).

    Lastly, as shown in the consonant table above, h- causes any following consonant to be devoiced[.]

    2022, Daisy L. Neijman, Icelandic: An Essential Grammar, Routledge, →ISBN, page 15
  2. InternettransitiveTo remove the voice flag from a user on IRC, preventing them from sending messages to the channel.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbutter with tense vocal chords

Opposite
voice
Broader
pronouncearticulateenounce

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*de
  2. Proto-Indo-European*déh₁
  3. Proto-Italic*dē
  4. Latindē
  5. Latindē-
  6. Englishde-
  7. Proto-Indo-European*wekʷ-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*wṓkʷs
  9. Proto-Italic*wōks
  10. Latinvōcem
  11. Anglo-Normanvoiz
  12. Middle Englishvoys
  13. Englishvoice
  14. Englishdevoice

From de- + voice.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French dévoiser, assourdir
  • dévoiserto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
  • assourdirto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
German verstimmlosen
  • verstimmlosento pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
Italian devocalizzare, desonorizzare
  • devocalizzareto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
  • desonorizzareto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
Polish ubezdźwięczniać, ubezdźwięcznić
  • ubezdźwięczniaćto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords
  • ubezdźwięcznićto pronounce a sound with little vibration of the vocal cords

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with devoice

choicevoiceJoyceRoycerejoiceporpoisenoiceHobson's choice
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

devoice. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devoice

MLA

“devoice.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devoice. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “devoice,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/devoice.

Source: devoice on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.