To change a speech sound so it's produced with the tongue touching or near the teeth instead of its normal position.
From Latin 'dentalis' (of teeth) combined with the verb-forming suffix '-ize' (to make or become). This technical linguistic term was created in the 19th century as phonetics became a scientific discipline.
When you say 't' in English versus Spanish, English speakers actually dentalize their 't' more—the tongue is further forward—which is why English 't' sounds slightly different and sharper to Spanish speakers' ears!
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