Synonyms

phonate

American

[foh-neyt] / ˈfoʊ neɪt /

verb (used with or without object)

phonated, phonating

Phonetics. to provide (a sound source, and hence the pitch) for a given voiced continuant or vowel, through rapid, periodic glottal action.
to vocalize.

phonate British

/ ˈfəʊnətərɪ, -trɪ, fəʊˈneɪt /

verb

(intr) to articulate speech sounds, esp to cause the vocal cords to vibrate in the execution of a voiced speech sound

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

phonation noun
phonatory adjective

Etymology

Origin of phonate

First recorded in 1875–80; phon- + -ate ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The MPI program software provides real-time feedback to the stutterer regarding the occurrence of these short phonated intervals so he or she can learn to reduce their occurrence, which improves fluency.

From US News

This view was obtained as the subject was phonating, so that the vocal bands are approximated somewhat closely.

From Project Gutenberg

The ventricular bands or false vocal cords vicariously phonate in the absence of the true cords, and assist in the protective function of the larynx.

From Project Gutenberg

A phonated interval is the elapsed time of a voiced unit of speech.

From US News

Instead of feeling that the breath passes out, the voice-producer should rather feel, when phonating, as if it passed in—an illusion, it is true, but still a safe one.

From Project Gutenberg

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023