A Flute Has No Reed, Which Is What Makes It a Flute
A flute is a woodwind instrument. It makes sound by splitting a stream of air, with no reed to vibrate.
A flute is a woodwind instrument played by blowing air across an opening. What defines it is the absence of a reed: the player's breath strikes a sharp edge and splits, and the oscillation of that air stream produces the note. Clarinets and oboes use vibrating reeds instead, which is why the modern metal flute still counts as a woodwind. A *flute* is also a tall narrow champagne glass, and a groove in a column.
- A woodwind instrument. *She plays the flute.*
- A champagne glass. *A champagne flute.*
- A groove in a column. *Fluted columns.*
- Flautist or flutist — the player. *A flautist.*
- Recorder — a related fipple flute. *A recorder.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | flute | A silver flute. |
| Plural | flutes | Two flutes. |
| Adjective | fluted | Fluted columns. |
| Agent (UK) | flautist | A flautist. |
| Agent (US) | flutist | A flutist. |
- The flute carries the melody.Music.
- Serve it in a champagne flute.Glassware.
- The columns are fluted.Architecture.
Woodwind, by how the sound starts
- Flute — air split on an edge, no reed
- Clarinet and saxophone — a single reed against a mouthpiece
- Oboe and bassoon — a double reed vibrating against itself
- Recorder — a fipple directs the air onto the edge
- The metal flute is still woodwind because of how it sounds, not what it is made of
Old French *flaüte*, of uncertain origin, possibly a blend of Provençal *flaut* with Latin *flatus*, a blowing.
Why is a metal flute a woodwind?
Because the family is defined by how the sound is produced, not by the material. The flute splits air rather than using a reed.
Is it flautist or flutist?
Flautist is standard in Britain, flutist in America. Both are correct.