Zöngés

Zöngés is a term used in Hungarian linguistics to describe a voiced sound, meaning a sound produced with vibration of the vocal cords. It is the opposite of zöngétlen, which denotes a voiceless sound. In phonological descriptions, zöngés refers to segments where the vocal folds vibrate during articulation, a property that is especially salient for consonants. Vowels are generally considered voiced by default, so zöngés as a category largely highlights obstruents such as stops and fricatives.

In Hungarian, the contrast between zöngés and zöngétlen is phonemic for many consonants and is one of the fundamental ways the sound system is described. Common pairs illustrate the idea: b versus p, d versus t, g versus k. For example, in simple pairs such as baba versus papa, the initial consonants b and p differ in voicing, with b being zöngés and p zöngétlen. This voicing distinction can interact with other phonetic processes in connected speech, though the core notion remains the presence or absence of vocal fold vibration.

The term zöngés is used in phonology, linguistic descriptions, and educational materials to distinguish voiced from voiceless sounds. It helps explain how Hungarian and many other languages organize their consonant inventories and how sound changes occur in different phonological contexts. See also: voicing, consonant voicing, Hungarian phonology.