alveolar consonant

7.7

A speech sound made by touching the tongue to the ridge just behind the top front teeth

noun
/ælˈviːələr ˈkɒnsənənt/

Specialized

: consonante alveolar

The teacher demonstrated how to produce the alveolar consonant by touching the tongue to the ridge behind the teeth.

Examples

Sounds like /d/ and /n/ are also classic examples of alveolar consonants.
The sound /t/ is an alveolar consonant.
In English, the alveolar consonant /t/ appears in the word 'time'.
Many alveolar consonants are found in English.
In English, the alveolar consonant /t/ appears in the word 'time'.
Sounds like /d/ and /n/ are also classic examples of alveolar consonants.
The teacher demonstrated how to produce the alveolar consonant by touching the tongue to the ridge behind the teeth.

Synonyms

alveolar

vsalveolar consonant

Specialized

8.7

A consonant sound made by touching the tongue to the ridge behind the top teeth

is the same but specifies the ridge as the bony area behind the teeth

How Back

glottal

Specialized

2 8.6

pharyngeal consonant

Specialized

9.9

uvular

Specialized

1 8.7

velar consonant

Specialized

8.4

palatal

Specialized

8.9

alveolar consonant

Specialized

7.7

bilabial

Specialized

7.7

Surface Forms

alveolar consonant singular

alveolar consonants plural

Morphology

alveolar + consonant

The phrase is fully compositional: 'alveolar' specifies the place of articulation (the alveolar ridge) and 'consonant' names the type of sound, so the combined meaning is ‘a consonant produced at the alveolar ridge’. Although technical, this is a straightforward modifier+noun construction common across languages, so a learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

The term alveolar consonant comes from the small ridge just behind your upper front teeth. To make an alveolar consonant, the tip of your tongue touches or comes close to that ridge. So the name means 'a consonant made with the tongue at the ridge behind the teeth'.