bilabial

[ bahy-ley-bee-uhl ]

adjective

1. produced with the lips close together or touching: the lips touch at one phase of the production of the bilabial consonants p, b, and m; they do not for the bilabial w.

noun

1. a bilabial speech sound.

bilabial

/ baɪˈleɪbɪəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or denoting a speech sound articulated using both lips

   (p) is a bilabial stop, (w) a bilabial semivowel

noun

1. a bilabial speech sound

Word History and Origins

Origin of bilabial¹

First recorded in 1860–65; bi- ¹ + labial

Example Sentences

The researchers say that modern linguistic features in Vanuatu support their hypothesis: the languages, although Austronesian, bear some minor Papuan attributes, including what’s known as a bilabial trill, a ‘bwwww’ sound inserted into the middle of words.

From Nature

Be this as it may, the value of the symbol in Greek was w, a bilabial voiced sound, not the labio-dental unvoiced sound which we call f.

From Project Gutenberg

The w in Dutch is mostly labiodental; in the eastern parts before vowels bilabial pronunciation is heard.

From Project Gutenberg

Yes, it makes Sean Kingston's Beautiful Girls look like Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands, but Mohombi isn't about furrowing brows, he's about fun with a capital bilabial fricative.

From The Guardian