What does labial mean?
Labial means relating to the lips, and the word is especially important in linguistics. Labial consonants are produced by bringing the lips together or by involving one lip and the upper teeth. Examples include the sounds represented by p, b, and m, although the precise articulation varies according to the following vowel and the speaker’s dialect. The term is also used in anatomy and related fields for structures associated with the lips. In organ building, a labial is a pipe or stop that produces sound by causing a metal tongue to vibrate against an adjustable lip. In general use, the word is more technical than “lip-related,” but it usefully identifies both bodily features and sounds made through the lips. Its clear connection with Latin vocabulary for the lip also makes it a useful word for discussions of anatomy, speech, and musical instruments.
Relating to the lips; produced by the lips.
"The therapist asked her to practice the labial sound at the beginning of each word."
In phonetic description, the term may refer to sounds involving either one or both lips.
An organ pipe or stop that produces sound by vibrating a metal tongue against a lip.
"Each labial was adjusted to bring the entire pipe into tune."
This noun is specialized and is chiefly used in organ-building terminology.
Used when referring collectively to the lip-sounding pipes of an organ.
"The choir was accompanied by a set of soft labials."
Labial sounds give language some of its most familiar voices: the p, b, and m of “paper,” “book,” and “mother.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does labial come from?
The adjective and noun derive from Latin labialis, meaning “of or relating to the lips,” formed from labium, the Latin word for “lip.” The same Latin root also underlies words such as labia, labiate, and bilabial. Latin labium itself is cognate with English lip, although the two words have followed separate historical developments.
Related word forms
How labial is actually used
In phonetics, “labial” generally covers sounds articulated with one or both lips. The noun is specialized and most often encountered in discussions of organ construction.
Easily confused with labial
A labial sound is produced with the lips, while a bilabial sound specifically uses both lips together.