What does palatalize mean?
To change the sound of (a consonant) so that it is pronounced with the tongue against the hard palate, typically from a stop or fricative to a fricative or affricate. In phonetics, to change a consonant sound so that it is pronounced with the tongue against the hard palate.
Example
"The sound of the 'ch' in the Scottish 'loch' palatalizes to a soft 'kh' sound."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.