Standard Lemma guide

backness

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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  • /ˈbæk.nɪs/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Quality of being a back vowel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: frontness

2

noun

Meaning 2

A quality of vowels, indicating the horizontal position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth (front, near-front, central, near-back, or back).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: frontness

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From back + -ness.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: posterioritat — a quality of vowels: the position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth
  • Hungarian: elölség — a quality of vowels: the position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth
  • Hungarian: elölképzettség — a quality of vowels: the position of the tongue relative to the back of the mouth