aspirated
adj1
Human sciences, Linguistics, Phonetics, Phonology, Sciences Pronounced with an audible breath, a brief expulsion of air at the end of the sound.
- In English, word-initial single voiceless consonants are aspirated, so that pit is pronounced [pʰɪt] but spit is pronounced [spɪt].
2
Human sciences, Linguistics, Sciences French In French, describing an initial letter h which, though silent, does not permit liaison or elision with the preceding word.
- The h in haine is aspirated, so one says la haine, not l'haine.
- Derived terms
- aspirated h, microaspirated, nonaspirated