labialize

L1A1B3I1A1L1I1Z10E1
UK/ˈleɪ.bi.ə.laɪz/Canada, US/ˈleɪ.bi.əˌlaɪz/Australia/ˈlæɪ.bi.ə.lɑez/New Zealand[ˈlæɪ̯.bi.ə.lɑe̯z]

verb

To round, make (a sound, notably a consonant) labial.

Similar
roundlabialise
Opposite
delabializepalatalize
OriginLatin labium →
Scrabble 20
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Meanings

verblabialize (third-person singular simple present labializes, present participle labializing, simple past and past participle labialized)

present singular third person labializes · participle present labializing · participle past labialized · past labialized

  1. transitiveTo round, make (a sound, notably a consonant) labial.

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
delabialize

in some contexts

Opposite
palatalize

verbpronounce with rounded lips

Similar
roundlabialise
Broader
pronouncearticulateenounce
Also see
round

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinlabium“lip”
  2. Englishlabialize

labial (from Latin labium (“lip”)) + -ize (“causative suffix”)

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian лабиализирам
  • лабиализирам (labializiram)make a sound labial
Catalan labialitzar
  • labialitzarmake a sound labial
Dutch labializeren
  • labializerenmake a sound labial
French labialiser
  • labialisermake a sound labial
German labialisieren
  • labialisierenmake a sound labial
Greek χειλικοποιώ
  • χειλικοποιώ (cheilikopoió)make a sound labial
Hungarian kerekít, labializál
  • kerekítmake a sound labial
  • labializálmake a sound labial
Portuguese labializar
  • labializarmake a sound labial
Russian лабиализова́ть, огубить
  • лабиализова́ть (labializovátʹ)make a sound labial
  • огубить (ogubít')make a sound labial
  • огублять (ogublját')make a sound labial
Spanish labializar
  • labializarmake a sound labial
Ukrainian лабіалізувати
  • лабіалізувати (labializuvaty)make a sound labial
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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