semivowel

S1E1M3I1V4O1W4E1L1

noun

A sound in speech which has some qualities of a consonant and some qualities of a vowel.

Similar
glidesemiconsonant
OriginEnglish vowel ← Middle English vowel ← Old French voue →
Scrabble 17
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Meanings

nounsemivowel (plural semivowels)

plural semivowels · alternative semi-vowel

  1. human sciencesA sound in speech which has some qualities of a consonant and some qualities of a vowel.

    Synonyms: glide, semiconsonant

  2. A letter which represents a semivowel sound, such as w or y in English.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA sound in speech which has some qualities of a consonant and some qualities of a vowel.

Similar
glidesemiconsonant

More synonyms by meaning

nouna vowellike sound that serves as a consonant

Similar
glide
Broader
phonespeech soundsound
Also see
glidepseudovowel

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*sem-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*sēmi
  3. Latinsēmi-
  4. Englishsemi-
  5. Latinvōcālis
  6. Old Frenchvoyeul
  7. Old Frenchvoue
  8. Middle Englishvowel
  9. Englishvowel
  10. Englishsemivowel

From semi- + vowel.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek ἡμίφωνον
  • ἡμίφωνον (hēmíphōnon)sound in speech
Arabic أَشْبَاهُ العِلَلِ
  • أَشْبَاهُ العِلَلِ (ʔašbāhu l-ʕilali)sound in speech
Chinese Mandarin 半元音, 半母音
  • 半元音 (bànyuányīn)sound in speech
  • 半母音 (bànmǔyīn)sound in speech
Czech polosamohláska
  • polosamohláskasound in speech
Danish halvvokal
  • halvvokalsound in speech
Dutch halfvocaal, halfklinker
  • halfvocaalsound in speech
  • halfklinkersound in speech
Esperanto duonvokalo
  • duonvokalosound in speech
Finnish puolivokaali
  • puolivokaalisound in speech
French semi-voyelle, semi-consonne
  • semi-voyellesound in speech
  • semi-consonnesound in speech
German Halbvokal, Semivokal
  • Halbvokalsound in speech
  • Semivokalsound in speech
Greek ημίφωνο
  • ημίφωνο (imífono)sound in speech
Hebrew חצי־תנועה
  • חצי־תנועה (khatsí-tnuá)sound in speech
Hungarian félhangzó
  • félhangzósound in speech
Italian semivocale, semiconsonante
  • semivocalesound in speech
  • semiconsonantesound in speech
Japanese 半母音
  • 半母音 (hanboin)sound in speech
Korean 반모음
  • 반모음 (banmo'eum)sound in speech
Latin semivocalis
  • semivocalissound in speech
Polish półsamogłoska
  • półsamogłoskasound in speech
Portuguese semivogal
  • semivogalsound in speech
Romanian semivocală
  • semivocalăsound in speech
Russian полугла́сный
  • полугла́сный (poluglásnyj)sound in speech
Spanish semivocal
  • semivocalsound in speech
Swedish halvvokal
  • halvvokalsound in speech
Tagalog malapatinig
  • malapatinigsound in speech
Turkish yarı-ünlü
  • yarı-ünlüsound in speech
Vietnamese bán nguyên âm
  • bán nguyên âmsound in speech
Welsh lled-lafariad, llithrolyn
  • lled-lafariadsound in speech
  • llithrolynsound in speech
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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