What does unaspirated mean?
Unaspirated describes a consonant pronounced without a noticeable accompanying puff of air. The distinction is especially important for voiceless stop consonants such as /p/, /t/, and /k/, which may be aspirated or unaspirated in different languages. English normally uses strongly aspirated forms of these sounds in positions such as the beginning of pen, ten, and cat. By contrast, the corresponding sounds in Spanish and many other languages are unaspirated. The word therefore helps explain why the same consonant letter can be pronounced differently across languages. Although it appears in dictionaries and language-learning materials, unaspirated is mainly a specialist term rather than ordinary vocabulary. Its clearest use is in phonetic descriptions, pronunciation instruction, and comparisons between languages.
adjectiveRelating to a consonant pronounced without aspiration, especially a voiceless stop that does not release a strong puff of air.
- Produced or characterized by a consonant sound without aspiration, especially a voiceless stop lacking a strong accompanying puff of air.
"In Spanish, the /p/ in pero is unaspirated, unlike the /p/ in English pen."
"In Spanish, the /p/ in pero is unaspirated, unlike the /p/ in English pen."
"The instructor labeled the consonant unaspirated because no strong puff of air followed it."
An unaspirated /p/ can sound almost identical to /b/—until the timing of vocal-fold vibration gives it away.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unaspirated come from?
The English adjective was formed by adding the negative prefix un- to aspirated, a form based on Latin aspirare, meaning “to breathe upon.” Aspirare combines ad-, meaning “to or toward,” with spirare, meaning “to breathe,” a root also represented in English by words such as respiration and inspiration. Unaspirated subsequently became established in phonetic terminology as the opposite of aspirated.
How unaspirated is actually used
This is primarily a technical term used in phonetics, phonology, and language teaching rather than in everyday speech.
Easily confused with unaspirated
Unvoiced describes a consonant made without vocal-fold vibration, whereas unaspirated describes the absence of a noticeable puff of air after a consonant.