articulate vs muffled

articulate

verb
  • To bend or hinge something at intervals, or to allow or build something so that it can bend. 

  • To make clear or effective. 

  • To explain; to put into words; to make something specific. 

  • To speak clearly; to enunciate. 

  • to form a joint or connect by joints 

  • to attack a note, as by tonguing, slurring, bowing, etc. 

noun
  • An animal of the subkingdom Articulata. 

adj
  • Speaking in a clear and effective manner. 

  • Distinctly marked off. 

  • Clear; effective. 

  • Consisting of segments united by joints. 

muffled

adj
  • Stifled or covered up; diminished by interference. 

How often have the words articulate and muffled occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )