assibilation

/əˌsɪbɪˈleɪʃən/

Definitions

1. noun

The process by which the sound /s/ or /z/ becomes /h/ in certain positions, especially in some dialects of English.

“In some accents of English, the assibilation of /s/ can make it sound like /h/ when it appears after a vowel.”

Synonyms

  • sibilance
  • softening

Antonyms

  • fortis
  • hardening