What does palatally mean?
Palatally is an adverb used in linguistics to describe speech sounds produced with the tongue touching or approaching the hard palate, the roof of the mouth. It is especially useful when comparing consonants, because some sounds are articulated in distinctly palatal ways while others are made with the tongue at a different position. In technical descriptions, a writer may say that a consonant is “articulated palatally” or describe a pronunciation as “strongly palatal.” The word is precise but uncommon outside specialized writing, so it is more likely to appear in phonetics, phonology, language teaching, and discussions of dialect or pronunciation. Its ordinary English relatives include “palate” and “palatal.” The adverb is formed from the adjective “palatal,” with the suffix -ly.
adverbIn a manner of articulation involving the tongue contacting the hard palate. It is used especially to describe the pronunciation of consonants.
- With the tongue touching or approaching the hard palate in producing a speech sound.
"The two sounds are distinguished by the way in which the tongue is positioned, with one articulated palatally."
"The consonant is articulated palatally, with the front of the tongue raised toward the hard palate."
"Young children sometimes produce the word in a way that is more palatally articulated than adult speech."
Palatally is the tongue's way of making a speech sound: it turns the roof of the mouth into a tiny sound-making surface.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does palatally come from?
The word is formed from the adjective “palatal,” which in turn derives from “palate,” the anatomical term for the roof of the mouth. “Palate” comes through Latin from the Latin word palatum, meaning the roof of the mouth or palate. The adjective “palatal” developed in English in connection with anatomy and phonetics, and “palatally” expresses the manner of palatal articulation.
Related word forms
How palatally is actually used
This is a specialized term used in phonetics, phonology, and descriptions of pronunciation. It is usually found in technical or educational contexts rather than everyday speech.
Easily confused with palatally
The palate is the roof of the mouth, whereas palatally describes an action performed with the tongue touching the hard palate.