vowel reduction

noun

Any of various changes in the acoustic quality of vowels, related to changes in stress, sonority, duration, loudness, articulation, or position in the word, and which are perceived as "weakening".

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Meanings

nounvowel reduction (countable and uncountable, plural vowel reductions)

plural vowel reductions

  1. countableuncountablehuman sciencesAny of various changes in the acoustic quality of vowels, related to changes in stress, sonority, duration, loudness, articulation, or position in the word, and which are perceived as "weakening".
Cite this entry
APA

vowel reduction. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vowel%20reduction

MLA

“vowel reduction.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vowel%20reduction. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vowel reduction,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vowel%20reduction.

Source: vowel reduction on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.