Epenthesis facts for kids

Epenthesis is a cool word used in phonology, which is the study of sounds in language. It means adding one or more sounds inside a word. Think of it like squeezing an extra sound into a word to make it easier to say!

Sometimes, the sound is added at the beginning of a word. This is called prothesis. If it's added at the very end, it's called paragoge.

Epenthesis can happen in two ways:

• When an extra consonant sound is added.
• When an extra vowel sound is added.

The opposite of epenthesis, where sounds are taken out of a word, is called elision.

Why Do We Add Sounds?

Epenthesis happens for many reasons. Sometimes, the rules for how sounds fit together in a language don't allow certain combinations. For example, some languages might not like two vowels right next to each other if they are in different parts of a word. Or, some groups of consonants might be hard to say together.

When this happens, an extra consonant or vowel can be added. This makes the word much easier to pronounce. Epenthesis can show up in how we write words, or it might just happen when people speak.

Separating Vowels

Sometimes, a consonant is added to keep spoken vowels apart. This often happens in English with what's called "linking R" or "intrusive R". It's when an 'r' sound is added where it doesn't usually belong.

• Imagine saying drawing. Some people might say drawring (in speech).

Connecting Consonants

A consonant can also be placed between other consonants in a group. This often happens when the consonants are made in different parts of your mouth. For example, one consonant might be made with your lips (like 'm' or 'p'), and another with your tongue behind your teeth (like 't' or 'd').

• You might hear some people say somepthing instead of something. This isn't standard English, but it's an example of this kind of sound addition.

Breaking Up Consonants

A vowel can be added between consonants to separate them. This makes the word flow better.

• The city name Hamtramck might be pronounced Hamtramick by some.

In English, you often see this with -i- in words that come from Latin. An example is equidistant. Another common one is -o- in words from Greek roots or compound words, like speedometer.

How Epenthesis Happens in Languages

In French

In French, an extra 't' sound is added in questions. For example, "he has" is il a. But to ask "has he?", it becomes a-t-il. The 't' is added to make it easier to say when the verb ends in a vowel and the next word starts with a vowel.

Historically, this 't' was part of the original Latin word. But in modern French, it feels like an added sound because the basic form of the verb "has" is just a.

In English

Think about the English word "a" or "an". We say "a book" but "an apple". The 'n' is added before words starting with a vowel.

Long ago, the word was always "an". Over time, the 'n' disappeared unless it was needed before a vowel. But today, most English speakers think of "a" as the basic word, and "an" as "a" with an extra 'n' added.

In Dutch

In Dutch, if you add the ending -er (which has different meanings) to a word that already ends in -r, an extra -d- is often put in the middle.

For example, "sweet" is zoet, and "sweeter" is zoeter. But "sour" is zuur. You might expect "sourer" to be *zurer, but it's actually zuurder. The -d- is added to make it sound right.

Sounds Added When Speaking

Sometimes, people add a stop consonant (like 'p', 't', or 'k') when a word has a nasal sound (like 'm' or 'n') followed by a fricative sound (like 's' or 'th').

• The word hamster is often pronounced with an added 'p' sound, like hampster.
• The word warmth is often pronounced with an added 'p' sound, like warmpth.
• The word fence is sometimes pronounced with an added 't' sound, like fents.

See also

In Spanish: Epéntesis para niños