palatal
adjective
pal·a·tal
ˈpa-lə-tᵊl 
1
a
: formed with some part of the tongue near or touching the hard palate of the roof of the mouth posterior to the ridge of bone behind the upper teeth
the \sh\ and \y\ in English and the \ḵ\ of ich \iḵ\ in German are examples of palatal consonants
b
of a vowel
: front sense 2
2
: of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate
palatal
noun
Examples of palatal in a Sentence
The first sound in the English word “jar” is a palatal sound.
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers found that the probability of an individual having infectious mononucleosis rose with palatal petechiae presence.5 The Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which can cause mono, is not the only germ that can lead to palatal petechiae.
—
Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
As Romance Languages started to evolve out of Latin, the ñ was born from the need to represent the palatal nasal, a sound that was nonexistent in Latin.
—Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2022
In Dutch, it is pronounced Hakhar, using a palatal consonant that exists in Hebrew (though not in the name Hagar) and in Dutch.
—Cnaan Liphshiz, sun-sentinel.com, 22 Sep. 2021
Kung-Ekoka, a musical language of nasal tones and palatal clicks.
—Juman Malouf, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2016
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Reven Widener, Health, 31 May 2023
As Romance Languages started to evolve out of Latin, the ñ was born from the need to represent the palatal nasal, a sound that was nonexistent in Latin.
—Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY, 16 Sep. 2022
In Dutch, it is pronounced Hakhar, using a palatal consonant that exists in Hebrew (though not in the name Hagar) and in Dutch.
—Cnaan Liphshiz, sun-sentinel.com, 22 Sep. 2021
Kung-Ekoka, a musical language of nasal tones and palatal clicks.
—Juman Malouf, New York Times, 1 Dec. 2016
Cite this Entry
“Palatal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/palatal. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
palatal
adjective
pal·a·tal
ˈpal-ət-ᵊl
: of, relating to, forming, or affecting the palate
palatal itching
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share