FRICATIVE

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FRICATIVE. In PHONETICS, a vocal sound made by bringing active and passive articulators close together, so that noise is generated as the airstream passes through the gap. The /f/ in fee is made by bringing the active lower lip close to the passive upper front teeth, and is a labiodental fricative CONSONANT. The /f/ and /v/ in five are the same kind of fricative; the first voiceless, the second voiced. Compare AFFRICATE. See SPEECH.

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