👅 Tongue bending ↩️ Body part bending

retroflexion

9.9

Turning the tip of the tongue back against the roof of the mouth to make certain speech sounds

noun
/ˌrɛtrəˈflɛkʃən/

Specialized

: retroflexión

The teacher demonstrated retroflexion to help the class understand the difference between 't' and 'ṭ'.

Examples

Many languages, such as Hindi, include sounds produced by retroflexion of the tongue.
Students of phonetics practice retroflexion to master unfamiliar speech sounds.
The retroflexion of the tongue is essential for pronouncing certain sounds.
Can you demonstrate retroflexion for us?
Many languages, such as Hindi, include sounds produced by retroflexion of the tongue.
Students of phonetics practice retroflexion to master unfamiliar speech sounds.
The teacher demonstrated retroflexion to help the class understand the difference between 't' and 'ṭ'.

Synonyms

retroflection

vsretroflexion

Specialized

9.9

A movement that turns the tongue tip back toward the roof of the mouth when speaking

is the same action but written as an alternate form

How Back

retroflexion

Specialized

9.9

palatal

Specialized

8.9

postalveolar

Specialized

9.9

alveolar

Specialized

8.7

Surface Forms

retroflexion singular

retroflexions plural

Morphology

retroflexion = retroflex (semi-transparent) = retro + flex + ion

Formed by adding the noun-forming suffix '-ion' to 'retroflex' (literally 'bent back'); the components give the basic meaning but the term is technical.

Etymology

Retroflexion comes from the parts retro- ('back') and flex ('to bend'), the same 'flex' you see in flexible. So in speech, retroflexion is when the tip of the tongue bends back toward the roof of the mouth to make certain sounds.