consonant

Everyday

1. A letter of the alphabet that is not a vowel, such as b, c, d, f, g. tree →
2. A speech sound made by partly blocking the air with your lips, tongue or teeth. tree →
3. (adjective, formal) consonant with: in agreement with. tree →

In the lessons

In phonics and spelling lessons: English has 21 consonant letters and 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u); y can be either. Rules: double the consonant in "running"; use "a" before a consonant sound. Phrases: consonant blend, double consonant, silent consonant.

Examples

• B, c and d are consonants. tree →
• The word "cat" has two consonants and one vowel. tree →
• "Running" has a double consonant. tree →
• Use "a" before a consonant sound: a dog, a unicorn. tree →
• The k in "knee" is a silent consonant. tree →
• How many consonants are in "school"? Four: s, c, h, l. tree →
• "Bl" and "st" are consonant blends. tree →

Note

The a/an rule depends on the sound, not the letter: "a uniform" (y sound), "an hour" (silent h). Y is a consonant in "yes" but acts as a vowel in "gym". Counting: 26 letters minus 5 vowels = 21 consonants.

In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah the twenty-two Hebrew letters are the consonants, and they are split into three mothers, seven double and twelve simple letters; "He formed" them from air.

Interpretation. Tradition reads the letters as the building blocks of creation, so the consonants are the tools God used to make the world, not just sounds.

Examples

• 2) Air emanated from the spirit by which He formed and established twenty-two consonants, stamina. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• Three of them, however, are the first elements, fundamentals or mothers, seven double and twelve simple consonants. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →
• The double consonants are seven, בגד כפרת and not six, they are seven and not eight; reflect upon this (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) tree →

Note

The a/an rule depends on the sound, not the letter: "a uniform" (y sound), "an hour" (silent h). Y is a consonant in "yes" but acts as a vowel in "gym". Counting: 26 letters minus 5 vowels = 21 consonants.