What is a vocoid?

Definition
	A vocoid is a sound made with an open oral cavity such that there is little audible friction in the mouth.
	It has the potential to be analyzed phonemically as a vowel.

Instances
	Here is a diagram of the vocoids. A language will use only some of these:

	A vocoid may also be a glide or syllabic sonorant, such as the following:
	[j] [l`] [n`]

See also
	What is a contoid?

Context for this page:

Concept module: vocoid
In overview module: Glossary (Linguistics): V
In modular book: Glossary of linguistic terms, by Eugene E. Loos (general editor), Susan Anderson (editor), Dwight H., Day, Jr. (editor), Paul C. Jordan (editor), and J. Douglas Wingate (editor)
In bookshelf: Linguistics

This page is an extract from the LinguaLinks Library, Version 5.0 published on CD-ROM by SIL International, 2003. [Ordering information.]

Page content last modified: 18 September 1998

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