sounded letter

[/ˈsaʊndɪd ˈlɛtər/]
nounpl: sounded letters
letra sonora
1. A letter of the alphabet that represents a spoken sound; a letter that is pronounced rather than silent
In the word 'knight,' the 'k' is not a sounded letter because it is silent.
Na palavra 'knight', a letra 'k' não é uma letra sonora porque é silenciosa.
2. In phonetics, a letter or grapheme that corresponds to an audible phoneme in speech
All vowels are sounded letters in most English words.
Todas as vogais são letras sonoras na maioria das palavras em inglês.
This term is primarily used in linguistic and educational contexts in both English-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries. It is particularly relevant in teaching English as a foreign language, as English pronunciation is notoriously irregular with many silent letters that confuse learners.
Synonyms / Sinônimos
voiced letterpronounced letteraudible letterphonetic letter
Antonyms / Antônimos
silent lettermute letterunvoiced letter

Regional Variations

General Brazilian
letra sonora
Standard term used in Portuguese language instruction
Portugal
letra sonora
Same terminology used in European Portuguese linguistics

Related Words

phonemegraphemeconsonantvowelpronunciationarticulation

Related Idioms & Phrases

a sounded letter carries weight in pronunciation
the sounded letters form the nucleus of a syllable
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