What does unvoiced mean?
Unvoiced is a technical adjective describing a speech sound produced without vibration of the vocal folds. In English, many consonants are unvoiced, including /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, and /f/, while counterparts such as /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, and /v/ are voiced. The distinction depends on whether the voice box vibrates when the sound is made, not on how loudly the speaker is speaking. The term is most common in phonetics, phonology, and language teaching, where it helps describe contrasts between pairs of consonants. Outside technical contexts, "unvoiced" may sound unfamiliar, while "voiceless" is often preferred. Both terms are established, however, and unvoiced can also function as a participial adjective describing an utterance or sound. Its value lies in linking visible speech practice with the physical mechanism of vocal-fold vibration.
adjectiveProduced without vibration of the vocal folds; voiceless.
- Produced without vibration of the vocal folds, as a consonant sound.
"The /p/ in "pin" is unvoiced, whereas the /b/ in "bin" is voiced."
"The initial /k/ in "key" is an unvoiced consonant."
"Voicing the previously unvoiced ending changed the pronunciation of the word."
The /p/ in "pin" is unvoiced: your vocal folds make no buzzing sound, unlike the /b/ in "bin".
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does unvoiced come from?
The English adjective unvoiced was formed by combining the prefix un- with voiced, reversing the meaning of "voiced" to mean "without vocal-fold vibration." It belongs to a family of English words based on voice, including voiced, voiceless, unvoice, and devoice. These forms ultimately draw on the Latin word vox, meaning "voice" or "sound."
How unvoiced is actually used
This is chiefly a technical term in phonetics, phonology, speech science, and language teaching. In general contexts, "voiceless" is often more natural.
Easily confused with unvoiced
Both terms describe a sound made without vocal-fold vibration, but "voiceless" is the more common general term, whereas "unvoiced" is especially used in technical descriptions.