In phonetics 'voiced' is a property that certain language sounds (phonemes) may have. It simply means that the vocal folds are vibrating while the sound is produced. You can experience the vibration of your vocal folds simply by saying any vowel, and putting your hand on your throat. You should feel a slight vibration.

Phonemes that are not voiced may be called either unvoiced or voiceless, referring to the fact that the vocal folds are not vibrating -- they are wide open, letting air pass freely. Unvoiced phonemes still make sounds because we shape the air movement with the articulators: the tongue, lips, teeth, alveolar plate, hard palate, velum (the soft palate), and the glottis. Confusingly, the vibration of the vocal folds is called phonation; of course, phonemes produced without phonation are still phonemes.

Voiced and unvoiced phonemes usually come in pairs; /b/ and /p/ is an example of an voiced/unvoiced pair. As you can see, voicing makes a big difference; the American Idol judges can call contestants 'pitchy', but they better not call them 'bitchy'. Here is a list of the voiced phonemes used in English:

  Unvoiced / Voiced               
    /p/        /b/      Bilabial plosive
               /m/      Bilabial nasal
    /f/        /v/      Labiodental fricative
    /t/        /d/      Alveolar plosive
               /n/      Alveolar nasal
    /s/        /z/      Alveolar fricative
               /l/      Aveolar lateral approximant
               /j/      Palatal approximant (the 'y' sound)
    /k/        /g/      Velar plosive
               /ŋ/      Velar nasal (the 'ng' sound)
    /h/                 Glottal fricative
               /w/      Bilabial glide or Velar glide
               All vowels are voiced.



Voiced (?), a.


Furnished with a voice; expressed by the voice.

2. Phon.


Voiced stop, Voice stop Phon., a stopped consonant made with tone from the larynx while the mouth organs are closed at some point; a sonant mute, as b, d, g hard.


© Webster 1913.

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