# consonant

/ˈkɑnsənənt/ (US) · /kˈɒnsənənt/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/consonant
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. speech sound

noun · CEFR B1

a speech sound made by partly or completely stopping the flow of air through your mouth.

For teachers: a speech sound produced by a partial or complete obstruction of the airflow in the vocal tract.

- The letter 'b' is a consonant because you close your lips to say it.
- Linguists categorise this specific consonant as a plosive because the airflow is completely blocked before being suddenly released.

### 2. alphabet letter

noun · CEFR B1

a letter of the alphabet that represents a consonant sound, such as b, c, d, or f.

For teachers: a grapheme representing a speech sound produced with obstruction of the breath.

- English has twenty-one consonant letters and five vowel letters.
- The student struggled to identify which consonant letters were silent in the word 'knight'.

### 3. in agreement

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

matching or in agreement with something else.

For teachers: consistent, compatible, or in agreement with a particular fact or principle.

- The new law is consonant with the country's constitution.
- The board's decision was entirely consonant with the long-term strategic goals established during the previous fiscal year.

Usage: Usually followed by the preposition 'with'.

### 4. musical harmony

adjective · CEFR C2 · Technical

describing sounds or notes that sound pleasant and stable together.

For teachers: denoting intervals or chords that are harmonious and do not require resolution.

- The piece ends on a consonant chord that feels very peaceful.
- The composer transitioned from a series of harsh, clashing tones to a consonant resolution in the final movement.

## Examples

- The word 'cat' starts and ends with a consonant.
- English learners often find it difficult to pronounce clusters of three or more consonants in a row.
- Phonetic analysis reveals that the speaker tends to soften terminal consonants, a characteristic common to several regional dialects in the southern part of the country.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.