1.
fricative (sound); fricative consonant
In phonetics, a consonant produced by forcing air through a narrow channel formed at some point in the vocal tract, creating audible friction. In Japanese, the s-row and the voiceless h-sound are common examples. A technical term used in linguistics and Japanese-language teaching.
「さ」行の子音は摩擦音だ。
The consonants of the sa-row are fricatives.
英語には日本語よりも多くの摩擦音がある。
English has more fricatives than Japanese.
日本語の学習者にとって、英語の「th」のような摩擦音は発音が難しいとされる。
For learners of Japanese, fricatives such as the English "th" are considered difficult to pronounce.
Composed of 摩擦 (friction) and 音 (sound). A calque of the English linguistic term "fricative." Refers to consonants produced by narrowing the vocal tract enough that the airflow creates a hissing or rubbing noise — for example, the English "s," "f," "v," "th," and "sh" sounds, and the Japanese "s" and the "f/h" in ふ.
USAGE:
- A technical term used in phonetics textbooks, Japanese-language teaching materials, and linguistic discussions.
- Often paired with other manner-of-articulation terms: 破裂音 (plosive / stop), 鼻音 (nasal), 破擦音 (affricate).
- The Japanese sa-row consonant [s] and the sound in ふ [ɸ] are the most commonly cited native Japanese fricatives.
- May appear in everyday contexts when discussing pronunciation difficulties for learners.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 無声摩擦音: voiceless fricative
- 有声摩擦音: voiced fricative
- 摩擦音を発音する: to pronounce a fricative
- 摩擦音の種類: types of fricatives
- 歯擦音: sibilant (a subtype of fricative)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 破裂音: plosive, stop — e.g., p, t, k
- 破擦音: affricate — e.g., ts, ch
- 鼻音: nasal — e.g., m, n
- 流音: liquid — e.g., l, r
- 半母音: semivowel — e.g., y, w
- 子音: consonant — the umbrella category
- 母音: vowel — the opposite category