labial
/ˈleɪbiəl/
noun
- A speech sound made by using the lips.
- In the word 'map', both 'm' and 'p' are labials.
- Children often master labials before other sounds.
- The linguist listed all the labials in the language.
adjective
- Relating to the lips.
- Labial herpes, or cold sores, often appear on the edge of the lip.
- The dentist examined the labial surface of her front teeth.
- She applied a labial balm to soothe her chapped lips.
- In phonetics, referring to a sound made by bringing the lips together or using the lips.
- The teacher explained that 'w' is a labial-velar sound.
- The sounds 'p', 'b', and 'm' are examples of labial consonants.
- In many languages, labial sounds are among the first that babies learn.