on
set
Plural
onsets
1
the beginning point or stage of something, especially unpleasant
- The onset of winter brought heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures.
- With the onset of the storm, residents hurried to secure their homes.
- She took medication at the onset of her migraine to alleviate the pain.
- The onset of the economic recession was evident in the declining job market.
- They prepared for the onset of the monsoon season by reinforcing their roof.
3
the initial sound or sounds of a syllable that come before the vowel, forming the beginning part of a syllable and can consist of one or more consonant sounds
An onset is the initial part of a syllable that comes before the nucleus, typically consisting of one or more consonant sounds. It serves as the opening of the syllable and can vary in complexity depending on the language. For example, in the word "cat," the onset is the "c" sound, while in "spring," the onset consists of the "spr" cluster. The onset is important in phonetics because it contributes to the overall structure of syllables and affects the pronunciation and flow of speech, influencing how words are articulated in different languages.