Mássalhangzó

Mássalhangzó is a Hungarian term that translates to "consonant" in English. In Hungarian phonology, consonants are speech sounds produced by obstructing the airflow in the vocal tract. This obstruction can be complete, as in the case of plosives like /p/, /t/, /k/, or partial, as in the case of fricatives like /f/, /s/, /h/.

Hungarian has a rich consonant system, including voiced and voiceless pairs, such as /b/ and /p/, /d/ and /t/, /g/ and /k/. It also features palatalized consonants, like /ty/ and /gy/, which are produced with the tongue raised towards the hard palate. Additionally, Hungarian has affricates, which start as a stop and release as a fricative, such as /cs/ (like 'ch' in 'church') and /dzs/ (like 'j' in 'judge'). Geminate or long consonants, where a consonant sound is held for a longer duration, are also significant in Hungarian, distinguishing words like 'kor' (time) from 'korr' (a type of wine).

The position and manner of articulation are key features that define each consonant in Hungarian. The understanding of mássalhangzó is crucial for learning Hungarian pronunciation and grammar, as consonant clusters and assimilation processes play a vital role in the language's sound structure.