klank

Klank is a Dutch noun that denotes sound or tone. In ordinary speech it can refer to any audible phenomenon—noise, a voice, a musical note, or the characteristic quality of a sound. In linguistics and phonology, klank is used to describe a speech sound or phoneme, in contrast to the written symbol. Dutch speakers often distinguish klank (the sound) from letter (the grapheme); for example, the klank /p/ represents the sound associated with the written letter p.

Etymology and related terms: The word klank is of Germanic origin and is cognate with German Klang, and related to English words such as clang and clank. The term reflects a common Indo-European tendency to connect audible phenomena across languages.

Usage in linguistics and education: In Dutch language teaching and study, klank refers to the actual sound produced when speaking, not just its written representation. This distinction helps in discussions of pronunciation, phonetics, and phonology, where one speaks of klanken (sounds or phonemes) as opposed to grafemen or letters.

Usage in music and acoustics: In music and acoustics, klank denotes the audible character of a sound, including its pitch, volume, and timbre. The concept of timbre is often described with the Dutch term klankkleur, meaning the color or quality of a sound that distinguishes different instruments or voices.

See also: klankkleur, klanken.