aphthong

English edit

Etymology edit

From Ancient Greek ἄφθογγος (áphthongos). Compare diphthong.

Pronunciation edit

Hyphenation: aph‧thong

Noun edit

aphthong (plural aphthongs)

(phonology) A letter or combination of letters employed in spelling a word but not pronounced.
The letters "gh" in "knight" are an aphthong.

Related terms edit

aphthongal

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.
(See the entry for “aphthong”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.)