Gutturopalatal

/ɡʌtərəˈpælətəl/ adjective

Definition

Relating to both the back of the throat and the hard palate in the mouth; describing sounds made with both areas involved.

Etymology

From Latin guttur (throat) plus palate (from Latin palatum), a compound technical term in phonetics for sounds involving both regions.

Kelly Says

The gutturopalatal sounds are among the rarest in world languages—they require perfect coordination between the back of your throat and the roof of your mouth, which is why they're tough even for speakers whose native languages have them.

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