Epenthesis
/ɪˈpɛn.θə.sɪs/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The insertion of a phoneme, letter, or syllable into a word, usually to satisfy the phonological constraints of a language or poetic context. countable, uncountable
- 2 the insertion of a vowel or consonant into a word to make its pronunciation easier wordnet
Synonyms
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Middle of 16th century: via Late Latin, from Ancient Greek ἐπένθεσις (epénthesis), from ἐπεντίθημι (epentíthēmi, “I insert”), from ἐπί (epí) + ἐντίθημι (entíthēmi, “I put in”), from ἐν (en, “in”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I put, place”).