Ph Meaning and Definition
Ph
Pronunciation
/fiː/
Part of Speech
Sound or letter
Definition
A voiceless labiodental fricative phoneme in some languages, represented by the Greek letter φ or the Latin letter ph.
Examples
- In Ancient Greek, the letter φ (phi) represented the sound /ph/.
- The sound /ph/ is also found in some dialects of Arabic.
Synonyms
- F
Antonyms
- vowel
- semi-vowel
Etymology
The Greek letter φ (phi) is derived from the Phoenician letter pe, which represented a similar sound.
Usage Notes
In English, the letter combination “ph” is typically pronounced as /f/ in words like “pheasant”.
Cultural References
The letter φ (phi) has appeared in various forms of media, including logos of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and the Ph.D. degree.
Idiomatic Expressions or Phrases
“Phi beta kappa” is a common phrase used to refer to the honor society.
Related Words or Phrases
Phoneme, sound, letter, alphabet
Collocations
Ph is often found in the combination with other consonants, such as “ph” in “pheasant” or “phth” in “phthisis”.
Frequency of Use
The letter Ph is relatively rare in English, but can be found in many technical and scientific words.
Common Misspellings
Ph is often misspelled as “F” or “P”, especially in words where it represents the sound /f/.