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# consonant

noun (a consonant, consonants); adjective (formal: consonant with)

«consonant» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A letter of the alphabet that is not a vowel, such as b, c, d, f, g. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#m1)
2. A speech sound made by partly blocking the air with your lips, tongue or teeth. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#m2)
3. (adjective, formal) consonant with: in agreement with. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#m3)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x1)
- The word "cat" has two consonants and one vowel. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x2)
- "Running" has a double consonant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x3)
- Use "a" before a consonant sound: a dog, a unicorn. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x4)
- The k in "knee" is a silent consonant. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x5)
- How many consonants are in "school"? Four: s, c, h, l. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x6)
- "Bl" and "st" are consonant blends. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/#x7)

### 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 →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/consonant/#x1)
- Three of them, however, are the first elements, fundamentals or mothers, seven double and twelve simple consonants. (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/consonant/#x2)
- The double consonants are seven, בגד כפרת and not six, they are seven and not eight; reflect upon this (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/consonant/#x3)

### 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.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «consonant» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/C/consonant/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«consonant» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/consonant.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «consonant» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/C/consonant/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«consonant» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/consonant.html) on Mova free.