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palatal

adjective pal·a·tal \ ˈpa-lə-tᵊl \
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Definition of palatal

1 a : formed with some part of the tongue near or touching the hard palate posterior to the teethridge
  • the \sh\ and \y\ in English and the \ḵ\ of ich \iḵ\ in German are examples of palatal consonants
b of a vowel : front 2
2 : of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate
—

palatal

noun
—

palatally

play \ˈpa-lə-tᵊl-ē\ adverb

See palatal defined for English-language learners

Examples of palatal in a Sentence

  1. The first sound in the English word “jar” is a palatal sound.

Recent Examples of palatal from the Web

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'palatal.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of palatal

1668

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

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PALATAL Defined for English Language Learners

palatal

adjective

Definition of palatal for English Language Learners

  • linguistics of a speech sound : made by placing the tongue so that it is near or touching the top surface (called the palate) of your mouth

Medical Dictionary

palatal

adjective pal·a·tal \ ˈpal-ət-ᵊl \

medical Definition of palatal

: of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate
  • palatal itching
—

palatally

play \-ᵊl-ē\ adverb

Learn More about palatal

  1. Britannica English: Translation of palatal for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about palatal

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palatal

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Examples: palatal in a Sentence