Dentilingual

/ˌdɛntɪˈlɪŋɡwəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to or produced by the teeth and tongue working together, as in certain speech sounds.

Etymology

Compound of Latin 'dens' (tooth), 'lingua' (tongue), and '-al' (relating to). This linguistic and phonetic term describes sounds where both teeth and tongue play active roles in articulation.

Kelly Says

Sounds like 't' and 'd' are dentilingual—your tongue touches the back of your upper front teeth to make these sounds, which is why linguists need a word that captures that two-part interaction.

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