What is a Consonant?

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the consonants in the english alphabet graphic

Definition of a consonant:

Consonant letters correspond to speech sounds that are produced by blocking or restricting the airflow using the lips, tongue, or throat. The term “consonant” can refer to both the specific speech sounds and the letters of the alphabet which represent them.

The English alphabet contains 21 consonants: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z – with some exceptions: Y can be a vowel sound too in some cases – e.g.: happy; In some cases “W” isn’t pronounced as a standalone consonant (like in win), but rather modifies the preceding vowel, helping to create a diphthong (a complex vowel sound) Linguists often refer to “W” in these roles as a semi-vowel or glide – it’s vowel-like in quality but glides into a full vowel

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