Dentilabial

/ˌdɛntɪˈleɪbiəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or involving both the teeth and the lips.

Etymology

Compound of Latin 'dens' (tooth) and 'labium' (lip), formed by combining the two anatomical references with the suffix '-ial.' This technical term is used in phonetics and anatomy.

Kelly Says

Dentilabial sounds like 'f' and 'v' require your teeth and lips to work together—your lower lip touches your upper teeth to make these fricative sounds, which is why linguists gave them this specific name.

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