prevocalization

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noun

A minor vocal sound produced in advance of a significant sound.

Scrabble 31
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Meanings

nounprevocalization (countable and uncountable, plural prevocalizations)

plural prevocalizations

  1. countableuncountableA minor vocal sound produced in advance of a significant sound.

    For example, unless the ear recognizes that in saying "Ma" the throat emits a very brief hum before the lips open, this morpheme could be confused with "Ta," a sound that is uttered without such prevocalization.

    1978, William E. Fann, Phenomenology and Treatment of Schizophrenia, page 175

Origin

From pre- + vocalization.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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