voiceless
/ˈvɔɪsləs/ (bre, ipa) · [vˈɔɪsləs] /ˈvɔɪsləs/ (ame, ipa) · [vˈɔɪsləs] /ˈvȯis-ləs How to pronounce voiceless (audio)/ (ame, mw)
voiceless — adjective
- voicelesspositive
- more voicelesscomparative
- most voicelesssuperlative
1. used for people or groups who cannot make their views or needs known, typically
used for people or groups who cannot make their views or needs known, typically because they have no power or say in how decisions are made.
Rural farmers in the valley felt voiceless when officials changed water policies without asking them.
feel voiceless + when-clause showing context
The documentary gave a platform to voiceless communities whose stories had never been heard.
give a platform to + voiceless communities
Without access to education, generations of women remained voiceless in public decision-making.
Local activists started a community radio station so voiceless groups could share their concerns.
The voiceless fire victims finally found a lawyer to represent them in court.
- silenced
implies someone actively prevented the group from speaking; stronger sense of oppression
- unheard
focuses on nobody listening, not necessarily lack of power to speak
- disenfranchised
more specific to legal or voting rights; more formal register
- marginalized
focuses on being pushed to the edges of society; broader than voiceless
- vocal
expresses opinions freely and forcefully
- represented
has someone to speak on behalf of the group
文法句型
feel + voiceless
remain + voiceless
voiceless + noun (community / group / population)
用法筆記
Common in discussions of social justice, human rights, and political representation. Frequently paired with verbs like 'remain', 'feel', 'leave', and prepositions such as 'in' (in the debate) and 'from' (from decision-making).
常見錯誤
2. describes a speech sound that is made without moving the vocal cords, so the sou
describes a speech sound that is made without moving the vocal cords, so the sound comes only from air passing through the mouth — for example, /p/, /t/, /k/, /s/, /f/, and /ʃ/ in English.
In English, the /p/ sound is voiceless, while /b/ is its voiced equivalent.
X is voiceless, while Y is voiced — contrasting pair
The teacher had students place a hand on their throat to feel voiceless sounds.
Daichi struggled with the voiceless 'th' sound because his language has no such sound.
The /f/ in 'fast' is voiceless, but the /v/ in 'vast' is voiced.
In a whisper, every syllable becomes voiceless because the vocal cords do not vibrate.
- voiced
produced with vibration of the vocal cords
文法句型
[sound] + is + voiceless
voiceless + [sound/consonant]
用法筆記
A technical term in phonetics. Often taught in pairs with 'voiced' to help learners distinguish similar sounds. Common minimal pairs include /p/ vs /b/, /t/ vs /d/, /k/ vs /g/, /f/ vs /v/, /s/ vs /z/.
常見錯誤
3. unable to produce speech, especially temporarily, because of illness, injury, sh
unable to produce speech, especially temporarily, because of illness, injury, shock, or a medical procedure.
After throat surgery, Jason was temporarily voiceless and wrote notes to communicate.
temporarily voiceless + after surgery
The shock of the car crash left the driver voiceless for several hours.
After a stroke, Roya's grandmother was voiceless, but the family learned to interpret her gestures.
A throat infection left Beatrix voiceless for a week, so she typed on her phone.
After the tube was removed, the patient was voiceless and wrote notes.
- mute
broader term; can describe permanent inability or a choice not to speak
- speechless
usually emotional or surprising cause, not medical; temporary
- aphonic
medical term for loss of voice due to vocal cord issues; very formal
- vocal
able to speak and use one's voice freely
文法句型
be/become/remain + voiceless
leave + [person] + voiceless
用法筆記
Describes a temporary loss of voice caused by a specific event, not a permanent condition from birth. More specific than 'mute', which can describe lifelong inability to speak. In medical records, 'aphonic' is the clinical term.