Standard Lemma guide

bilabial

adj · noun · 4 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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  • /baɪˈleɪ.bi.əl/
  • rhymes with -eɪbiəl
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Articulated with both lips.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

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

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A speech sound articulated with both lips.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

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

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

of or relating to or being a speech sound that is articulated using both lips

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • bilabial fricatives

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a consonant that is articulated using both lips; /p/ or /b/ or /w/

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: labial consonant, labial

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dwóh1 Proto-Indo-European *dwi- Proto-Italic *dwi- Latin bi-bor. English bi- English labial English bilabial From bi- + labial.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: شَفَتَانِيّ (šafatāniyy) — articulated with both lips
  • Armenian: երկշրթնային (erkšrtʻnayin) — articulated with both lips
  • Asturian: billabial — articulated with both lips
  • Catalan: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Czech: obouretný — articulated with both lips
  • Czech: retoretný — articulated with both lips
  • Czech: bilabiální — articulated with both lips
  • Finnish: bilabiaalinen — articulated with both lips
  • French: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Galician: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Georgian: წყვილბაგისმიერი (c̣q̇vilbagismieri) — articulated with both lips
  • Georgian: ბილაბიალური (bilabialuri) — articulated with both lips
  • German: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Greek: διπλοχειλικός (diplocheilikós) — articulated with both lips
  • Hebrew: דּוּ־שְׂפָתִי (du-s'fatí) — articulated with both lips
  • Icelandic: tvívaramæltur — articulated with both lips
  • Irish: déliopach — articulated with both lips
  • Italian: bilabiale — articulated with both lips
  • Kashmiri: دُوُٹھؠ (duvuṭh') — articulated with both lips
  • Mongolian: хоёр уруулын (xojor uruulyn) — articulated with both lips
  • Mongolian: ᠬᠣᠶᠠᠷ ᠤᠷᠤᠭᠤᠯ ᠦᠨ (qoyar uruɣul-ün) — articulated with both lips
  • Navajo: daaʼii — articulated with both lips
  • Polish: bilabialny — articulated with both lips
  • Polish: dwuwargowy — articulated with both lips
  • Portuguese: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Russian: билабиа́льный (bilabiálʹnyj) — articulated with both lips
  • Russian: гу́бно-губно́й (gúbno-gubnój) — articulated with both lips
  • Spanish: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Swedish: bilabial — articulated with both lips
  • Welsh: dwywefusol — articulated with both lips
  • Armenian: երկշրթնային (erkšrtʻnayin) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Catalan: bilabial — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Chinese Mandarin: 雙唇音 /双唇音 (shuāngchúnyīn) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Czech: retnice — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Czech: bilabiála — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Finnish: bilabiaali — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Galician: bilabial — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • German: Doppellippenlaut — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • German: Zweilippenlaut — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • German: Beidlippenlaut — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • German: Bilabial — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Greek: διχειλικός (dicheilikós) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Irish: déliopach — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Italian: bilabiale — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Kashmiri: دُوُٹھؠ (duvuṭh') — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Japanese: 両唇音 (ryōshin'on) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Portuguese: bilabial — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Russian: билабиа́льный звук (bilabiálʹnyj zvuk) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Russian: гу́бно-губно́й звук (gúbno-gubnój zvuk) — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Serbo-Croatian: bilabijal — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Serbo-Croatian: dvousnenik — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Spanish: bilabial — a speech sound articulated with both lips
  • Vietnamese: âm đôi môi — a speech sound articulated with both lips
Real reading context

bilabial in complete knowledge articles