aphthong

English

Etymology

From Ancient Greek ἄφθογγος (áphthongos). Compare diphthong.

Pronunciation

• Hyphenation: aph‧thong

Noun

aphthong (plural aphthongs)

1. (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

• 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 The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.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.)