metathesis

noun/məˈtæθəsɪs/

Frequency rank: #19,766 most common English word

Meaning

The transposition of sounds or letters within a word.

Illustration for the English word “metathesis”

Example sentence

The word 'bird' developed from Old English 'brid' through metathesis, which swapped the positions of two sounds.

Synonyms & related words

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