# Palatalization (phonetics)

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Palatalization_(phonetics)
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Palatalization_(phonetics).md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatalization_(phonetics)
> Source revision: 1344568296
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Phonetic feature

This article is about the phonetic feature. For the sound change, see [Palatalization (sound change)](/source/Palatalization_(sound_change)).

This article needs more citations. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Palatalization" phonetics – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (May 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Palatalized ◌ʲ IPA number 421 Encoding Entity (decimal) ʲ Unicode (hex) U+02B2 Image

In [phonetics](/source/Phonetics), **palatalization** ([/ˌpælətəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English) [ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-palatalization.wav), [US](/source/American_English) also [/-lɪ-/](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/English)) or **palatization** is a way of pronouncing a consonant in which part of the tongue is moved close to the [hard palate](/source/Hard_palate). Consonants pronounced this way are said to be **palatalized** and are transcribed in the [International Phonetic Alphabet](/source/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) by affixing a superscript *j*, ⟨ʲ⟩, to the base letter. Palatalization is not [phonemic](/source/Phonemic_contrast) in English, but it is in Slavic languages such as [Russian](/source/Russian_language) and [Bulgarian](/source/Bulgarian_language); Uralic languages such as [Estonian](/source/Estonian_language), [Karelian](/source/Karelian_language), [Veps](/source/Veps_language), [Enets](/source/Enets_language) and [Mansi](/source/Mansi_language); [Northwest Caucasian languages](/source/Northwest_Caucasian_languages) such as [Abkhaz](/source/Abkhaz_language); and other various languages such as [Irish](/source/Irish_language), [Lithuanian](/source/Lithuanian_language), [Marshallese](/source/Marshallese_language) and [Kashmiri](/source/Kashmiri_language).

## Types

In technical terms, palatalization refers to the [secondary articulation](/source/Secondary_articulation) of [consonants](/source/Consonant) by which the middle (dorsum) of the [tongue](/source/Tongue) is raised toward the [hard palate](/source/Hard_palate) during the articulation of the consonant. Such consonants are phonetically palatalized. Palatalization may produce a [laminal](/source/Laminal_consonant) articulation of otherwise [apical](/source/Apical_consonant) consonants, such as [t̺] and [s̺] vs palatalized [t̻ʲ] and [s̻ʲ]. In general, palatalization of non-dorsal consonants involve a secondary closure of the oral cavity, with the dorsum of the tongue approaching the hard palate in addition to the primary articulation elsewhere. This is clearly the case with [labial consonants](/source/Labial_consonant) such as [pʲ] and [fʲ]. However, in [dorsal consonants](/source/Dorsal_consonant) such as [kʲ] and [xʲ], the tongue can only make a single closure in those two regions, which generally means that the contact is spread over a broader area, from the soft to hard palates, compared to the narrower contact of non-palatalized [k] and [x]; it's not uncommon therefore to transcribe the palatalized sounds simply as palatal [c] and [ç]. Palatalized [coronal consonants](/source/Coronal_consonant) such as [t̻ʲ] and [n̻ʲ] are somewhere in between: although there may be two places of articulation, the tongue tends to be quite flattened, and moves as if it were a single articulation. In Russian the blade of the tongue remains on the [alveolar ridge](/source/Alveolar_ridge) while the entire front of the tongue is raised, while in Polish the primary articulation (the blade of the tongue) is shifted back toward the palate: [t̠ʲ], [n̠ʲ].[1][2]

Phonetically palatalized consonants may vary in their exact realization. Some languages add [semivowels](/source/Semivowel) before or after the palatalized consonant (onglides or offglides). In such cases, the vowel (especially a non-front vowel) following a palatalized consonant typically has a palatal onglide. In [Russian](/source/Russian_language), both plain and palatalized consonant phonemes are found in words like большой [\[bɐlʲˈʂoj\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Russian) [ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%B1%D0%BE%D0%BB%D1%8C%D1%88%D0%BE%D0%B9.ogg), царь [\[tsarʲ\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Russian) [ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D1%86%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%8C.ogg) and Катя [\[ˈkatʲə\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:IPA/Russian) [ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%9A%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8F.ogg). In [Hupa](/source/Hupa_language), on the other hand, the palatalization is heard as both an onglide and an offglide. In some cases, the realization of palatalization may change without any corresponding phonemic change. For example, according to Thurneysen,[3] palatalized consonants at the end of a syllable in [Old Irish](/source/Old_Irish) had a corresponding onglide (reflected as ⟨i⟩ in the spelling), which was no longer present in [Middle Irish](/source/Middle_Irish) (based on explicit testimony of grammarians of the time).

In a few languages, including [Skolt Sami](/source/Skolt_Sami_language) and many of the [Central Chadic languages](/source/Central_Chadic_languages), palatalization is a [suprasegmental feature](/source/Suprasegmental_feature) that affects the pronunciation of an entire syllable, and it may cause certain vowels to be pronounced [more front](/source/Front_vowel) and consonants to be slightly palatalized. In [Skolt Sami](/source/Skolt_Sami) and its relatives ([Kildin Sami](/source/Kildin_Sami_language) and [Ter Sami](/source/Ter_Sami_language)), suprasegmental palatalization contrasts with segmental palatal articulation (palatal consonants).

## Transcription

In the [International Phonetic Alphabet](/source/International_Phonetic_Alphabet) (IPA), palatalized consonants are marked by the [modifier letter](/source/Phonetic_symbols_in_Unicode#Spacing_Modifier_Letters_(U+02B0–02FF)) ⟨ʲ⟩, a [superscript version](/source/Subscript_and_superscript) of the symbol for the [palatal approximant](/source/Palatal_approximant) ⟨j⟩. For instance, ⟨tʲ⟩ represents the palatalized form of the [voiceless alveolar stop](/source/Voiceless_alveolar_stop) [t]. [Prior to 1989](/source/Obsolete_and_nonstandard_symbols_in_the_International_Phonetic_Alphabet), a subscript diacritic was used in the IPA: ⟨ᶀ ᶈ ᶆ ᶂ ᶌ ƫ ᶁ ᶇ ᶊ ᶎ ᶅ 𝼓 ᶉ 𝼖 𝼕 ᶄ ᶃ 𝼔 ᶍ ꞕ⟩, apart from two palatalized fricatives which were written instead with curly-tailed variants, namely ⟨ʆ⟩ for [ʃʲ] and ⟨ʓ⟩ for [ʒʲ]. (See [palatal hook](/source/Palatal_hook).) The [Uralic Phonetic Alphabet](/source/Uralic_Phonetic_Alphabet) marks palatalized consonants by an [acute accent](/source/Acute_accent), as do the orthographies of some Finnic languages using Latin-based alphabets, as in [Võro](/source/V%C3%B5ro_language) ⟨[ś](/source/%C5%9A)⟩. Other orthographies use an apostrophe, as in [Karelian](/source/Karelian_language) ⟨sʼ⟩, or digraphs with *j*, as in the [Savonian dialects](/source/Savonian_dialects) of [Finnish](/source/Finnish_language), ⟨sj⟩.

## Phonology

Palatalization has varying [phonological](/source/Phonological) significance in different languages. It is [allophonic](/source/Allophonic) in English, but [phonemic](/source/Phonemic) in others. In English, consonants are palatalized when they occur before front vowels or the palatal approximant (and in a few other cases), but no words are distinguished by palatalization ([complementary distribution](/source/Complementary_distribution)), whereas in some of the other languages, the difference between palatalized consonants and plain unpalatalized consonants distinguishes between words, appearing in a [contrastive distribution](/source/Contrastive_distribution) (where one of the two versions, palatalized or not, appears in the same environment as the other).

### Allophonic palatalization

In some languages, like Hindustani, palatalization is [allophonic](/source/Allophonic). Some [phonemes](/source/Phoneme) have palatalized allophones in certain contexts, typically before [front vowels](/source/Front_vowel) and unpalatalized allophones elsewhere. Because it is allophonic, palatalization of this type does not [distinguish](/source/Distinctive_feature) words and often goes unnoticed by native speakers. Phonetic palatalization occurs in American English. Stops are palatalized before the front vowel /i/ and not palatalized in other cases.

### Phonemic palatalization

In some languages, palatalization is a [distinctive feature](/source/Distinctive_feature) that distinguishes two consonant [phonemes](/source/Phoneme). This feature occurs in [Russian](/source/Russian_language), [Irish](/source/Irish_language), and [Scottish Gaelic](/source/Scottish_Gaelic), among others.

Phonemic palatalization may be contrasted with either plain or [velarized](/source/Velarization) articulation. In many of the [Slavic languages](/source/Slavic_languages), and some of the [Baltic](/source/Baltic_languages) and [Finnic languages](/source/Finnic_languages), palatalized consonants contrast with plain consonants, but in [Irish](/source/Irish_language) they contrast with velarized consonants.

- Russian [нос](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81#Russian) [/nos/](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c1/Ru-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81.ogg/Ru-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%BD%D0%BE%D1%81.ogg) "nose" (unpalatalized /n/)

- [нёс](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8#Russian) [/nʲos/](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/28/Ru-%D0%BD%D1%91%D1%81.ogg/Ru-%D0%BD%D1%91%D1%81.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%BD%D1%91%D1%81.ogg) [nʲɵs] "(he) carried" (palatalized /nʲ/)

- Irish *[bó](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/b%C3%B3#Irish)* [/bˠoː/](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/a/a7/Ga-b%C3%B3.ogg/Ga-b%C3%B3.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ga-b%C3%B3.ogg) "cow" (velarized *b*)

- *[beo](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/beo#Irish)* [/bʲoː/](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/e/ed/Ga-beo.ogg/Ga-beo.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ga-beo.ogg) "alive" (palatalized *b*)

Some palatalized phonemes undergo change beyond phonetic palatalization. For instance, the unpalatalized sibilant (Irish /sˠ/, Scottish /s̪/) has a palatalized counterpart that is actually [postalveolar](/source/Postalveolar) [ʃ], not phonetically palatalized [sʲ], and the velar fricative /x/ in both languages has a palatalized counterpart that is actually palatal [ç] rather than palatalized velar [xʲ]. These shifts in primary [place of articulation](/source/Place_of_articulation) are examples of the sound change of [palatalization](/source/Palatalization_(sound_change)).

### Morphophonemic

[Romanian *ban*, *bani* ("coin, coins")](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ro-ban-bani.ogg)

[ban banʲ]

*Problems playing this file? See [media help](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Media).*

In some languages, palatalization is used as a [morpheme](/source/Morpheme) or part of a morpheme. In some cases, a vowel caused a consonant to become palatalized, and then this vowel was lost by [elision](/source/Elision). Here, there appears to be a [phonemic contrast](/source/Phonemic_contrast) when analysis of the [deep structure](/source/Deep_structure) shows it to be allophonic.

In [Romanian](/source/Romanian_language), consonants are palatalized before /i/. Palatalized consonants appear at the end of the word, and mark the plural in nouns and adjectives, and the second person singular in verbs.[4] On the surface, it would appear then that *ban* [ban] "coin" forms a [minimal pair](/source/Minimal_pair) with *bani* [banʲ]. The interpretation commonly taken, however, is that an underlying morpheme |-i| palatalizes the consonant and is subsequently deleted.

Palatalization may also occur as a [morphological](/source/Morphology_(linguistics)) feature. For example, although Russian makes phonemic contrasts between palatalized and unpalatalized consonants, alternations across morpheme boundaries are normal:[5]

- ответ [\[ɐˈtvʲe**t**\]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/1e/Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82.ogg/Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82.ogg) ('answer') vs. ответить [\[ɐˈtvʲe**tʲ**ɪtʲ\]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/51/Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C.ogg/Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%BE%D1%82%D0%B2%D0%B5%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%82%D1%8C.ogg) ('to answer')

- несу [\[nʲɪˈ**s**u\]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/2/27/Ru-%D1%8F_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%83.ogg/Ru-%D1%8F_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%83.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D1%8F_%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%83.ogg) ('[I] carry') vs. несёт [\[nʲɪˈ**sʲ**ɵt\]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/cb/Ru-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%91%D1%82.ogg/Ru-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%91%D1%82.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%BD%D0%B5%D1%81%D1%91%D1%82.ogg) ('carries')

- голод [\[ˈɡolə**t**\]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/c/c8/Ru-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B4.ogg/Ru-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B4.ogg.mp3)[ⓘ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ru-%D0%B3%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B4.ogg) ('hunger') vs. голоден [ˈɡolə**dʲ**ɪn] ('hungry' masc.)

## Sound changes

Main article: [Palatalization (sound change)](/source/Palatalization_(sound_change))

In some languages, allophonic palatalization developed into phonemic palatalization by [phonemic split](/source/Phonemic_split). In other languages, phonemes that were originally phonetically palatalized changed further: palatal secondary place of articulation developed into changes in manner of articulation or primary place of articulation.

Phonetic palatalization of a consonant sometimes causes surrounding vowels to change by [coarticulation](/source/Coarticulation) or [assimilation](/source/Assimilation_(linguistics)). In Russian, "soft" (palatalized) consonants are usually followed by vowels that are relatively more [front](/source/Front_vowel) (that is, closer to [i] or [y]), and vowels following "hard" (unpalatalized) consonants are further [back](/source/Back_vowel). See [Russian phonology § Allophony](/source/Russian_phonology#Allophony) for more information.

## Examples

### Slavic languages

In many [Slavic languages](/source/Slavic_languages), palatal or palatalized consonants are called **soft**, and others are called **hard**. Some of them, like [Russian](/source/Russian_phonology), have numerous pairs of palatalized (soft) and unpalatalized (hard) consonant phonemes.

[Russian Cyrillic](/source/Russian_Cyrillic) has pairs of vowel letters that mark whether the consonant preceding them is hard/soft: ⟨[а](/source/%D0%90)⟩/⟨[я](/source/%D0%AF)⟩, ⟨[э](/source/%D0%AD)⟩/⟨[е](/source/%D0%95)⟩, ⟨[ы](/source/%D0%AB)⟩/⟨[и](/source/%D0%98)⟩, ⟨[о](/source/%D0%9E)⟩/⟨[ё](/source/%D0%81)⟩, and ⟨[у](/source/%D0%A3)⟩/⟨[ю](/source/%D0%AE)⟩. The otherwise [silent](/source/Silent_letter) [soft sign](/source/Soft_sign) ⟨*ь*⟩ also indicates that the previous consonant is soft.

### Goidelic

Main articles: [Irish phonology § Consonants](/source/Irish_phonology#Consonants), and [Scottish Gaelic phonology § Consonants](/source/Scottish_Gaelic_phonology#Consonants)

[Irish](/source/Irish_language) and [Scottish Gaelic](/source/Scottish_Gaelic) have pairs of palatalized (*slender*) and unpalatalized (*broad*) consonant phonemes. In Irish, most broad consonants are [velarized](/source/Velarized). In Scottish Gaelic, the only velarized consonants are [n̪ˠ] and [l̪ˠ]; [r] is sometimes described as velarized as well.[6][7]

### Marshallese

In the [Marshallese language](/source/Marshallese_language#Phonology), each consonant has some type of secondary articulation (palatalization, velarization, or [labiovelarization](/source/Labialization)). The palatalized consonants are regarded as "light", and the velarized and rounded consonants are regarded as "heavy", with the rounded consonants being both velarized and labialized.

### Norwegian

Many [Norwegian dialects](/source/Norwegian_dialects) have phonemic palatalized consonants. In many parts of Northern Norway and many areas of Møre og Romsdal, for example, the words /hɑnː/ ('hand') and /hɑnʲː/ ('he') are differentiated only by the palatalization of the final consonant. Palatalization is generally realised only on stressed syllables, but speakers of the Sør-Trøndelag dialects will generally palatalize the coda of a determined plural as well: e.g. /hunʲː.ɑnʲ/ or, in other areas, /hʉnʲː.ɑn/ ('the dogs'), rather than */hunʲː.ɑn/. Norwegian dialects utilizing palatalization will generally palatalize /d/, /l/, /n/ and /t/.

### Malayalam

Malayalam uses palatalization/velarization to distinguish some of its coronals, /n, t, ɾ, l, ɻ/ are palatalized and have an advanced tongue root while /n̪, r, ɭ/ are clear or velarized and have a retracted tongue root, particularly noticeable in geminates. /ɾ/ and /r/ can vary between ⟦ɹ̟ʲ ~ ɾ̟ʲ ~ r̟ʲ⟧ and ⟦ɾ̠ˠ ~ r̠ˠ⟧, respectively.[8][9][10]

## List of palatalized consonants

All places and manners of [pulmonic consonants](/source/Pulmonic_consonant) are attested with palatalization, with the possible exception of the [epiglottals](/source/Epiglottal). Palatalized ejectives also occur. A palatalized click ⟨mqya⟩ [m̩ǃʲa] is provided for by the [Mwangwego script](/source/Mwangwego_script) for [Malawian Ngoni](/source/Malawian_Ngoni).

The list below does not include palatalized post-alveolar sonorants. For those, see [palatal consonant](/source/Palatal_consonant).

type Phone IPA Languages Stops palzd voiceless bilabial stop [pʲ] Russian, Ukrainian, Irish, Võro, Kashmiri (may also be aspirated), Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be preaspirated or geminate) palzd voiced bilabial stop [bʲ] Russian, Ukrainian, Irish, Kashmiri, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized), Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiceless dental stop [t̪ʲ] Kashmiri (may also be aspirated; contrasts with retroflex) palzd voiced dental stop [d̪ʲ] Ukrainian, Kashmiri (contrasts with retroflex), Soga (contrasts with alveolar) palzd voiceless alveolar stop [tʲ] Russian, Ukrainian, Irish, Võro, Chʼol, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Moksha, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be preaspirated or geminate), Soga palzd voiced alveolar stop [dʲ] Russian, Irish, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized), Moksha, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate), Soga (contrasts with dental) palzd voiceless retroflex stop [ʈʲ] Kashmiri (may also be aspirated) palzd voiced retroflex stop [ɖʲ] Kashmiri palzd voiceless velar stop [kʲ] Russian, Võro, Kashmiri (may also be aspirated), Tsakhur, Abaza, Ubykh, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be preaspirated or geminate) palzd voiced velar stop [ɡʲ] Russian, Kashmiri, Tsakhur, Abaza, Ubykh, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized), Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiceless labial–velar stop [k͜pʲ] Anufo (allophone before front vowels)[verify once refs in article are confirmed] palzd voiced labial–velar stop [ɡ͡bʲ] Anufo (allophone before front vowels)[verify once refs in article are confirmed] palzd voiceless uvular stop [qʲ] Ubykh palzd glottal stop [ʔʲ] Abzakh Adyghe Affricates palzd voiceless alveolar affricate [tsʲ] Russian (dental), Ukrainian (dental), Võro, Kashmiri (may also be aspirated), Tsakhur, Moksha, Kildin Sámi (may also be preaspirated or geminate) palzd voiced alveolar affricate [dzʲ] Ukrainian (dental), Kashmiri, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiceless alveolar lateral affricate [tɬʲ] palzd voiceless palato-alveolar affricate [tʃʲ] Kildin Sámi (may also be preaspirated or geminate), North Teke (prenasalized [ntʃʲ]). palzd voiced palato-alveolar affricate [dʒʲ] Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) Fricatives palzd voiceless bilabial fricative [ɸʲ] Irish (conservative dialects), Páez palzd voiced bilabial fricative [βʲ] Irish (conservative dialects), Páez, Soga palzd voiceless labiodental fricative [fʲ] Russian, Irish, Võro, Siberian Ingrian Finnish, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiced labiodental fricative [vʲ] Russian, Irish, Võro, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiceless dental fricative [θʲ] palzd voiced dental fricative [ðʲ] Scottish Gaelic (Outer Hebrides) palzd voiceless alveolar sibilant [sʲ] Russian (dental), Ukrainian (dental), Võro, Kashmiri, Tsakhur, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Moksha, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiced alveolar sibilant [zʲ] Russian (dental), Ukrainian (dental), Kashmiri, Tsakhur, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be geminate), Moksha, Kildin Sámi palzd voiceless alveolar lateral fricative [ɬʲ] Surgut Khanty, Forest Nenets, Quechan palzd voiceless palato-alveolar sibilant [ʃʲ] Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiced palato-alveolar sibilant [ʒʲ] Kildin Sámi palzd voiceless velar fricative [xʲ] Russian, Tsakhur, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate), Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized) palzd voiced velar fricative [ɣʲ] Russian, Lithuanian palzd voiceless uvular fricative [χʲ] Abaza, Ubykh palzd voiced uvular fricative [ʁʲ] Abaza, Ubykh palzd voiceless glottal fricative [hʲ] Võro, Kashmiri Nasals palzd bilabial nasal [mʲ] Russian, Ukrainian, Irish, Võro, Kashmiri, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate), Soga palzd voiceless bilabial nasal [m̥ʲ] Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) prenasal [ᵐbʲ] Páez, Soga (marginal) prenasal [ᵐpʲ] Soga palzd dental nasal [n̪ʲ] Ukrainian, Kashmiri [confirm it is dental], Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Soga (contrasts with alveolar) prenasal [ⁿd̪ʲ] Soga (contrasts with alveolar) palzd alveolar nasal [nʲ] Russian, Irish, Võro, Moksha, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate; contrasts with palatal), Soga (contrasts with dental) palzd voiceless alveolar nasal [n̥ʲ] Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) prenasal [ⁿdʲ] Páez, Soga (contrasts with dental) prenasal [ⁿtʲ] Soga palzd velar nasal [ŋʲ] Võro, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) prenasal [ᵑɡʲ] Páez palzd labial–velar nasal [ŋ͡mʲ] Anufo (allophone before front vowels)[verify once refs in article are confirmed] Taps/flaps palzd dental tap [ɾ̪ʲ] palzd alveolar tap [ɾʲ] Irish, Malayalam palzd alveolar lateral flap [ɺʲ] Páez, Ilgar, Soga palzd retroflex flap [ɽʲ] possibly Tumbuka Trills palzd dental trill [r̪ʲ] Russian palzd alveolar trill [rʲ] Ukrainian, Võro, Kashmiri, Moksha, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd voiceless alveolar trill [r̥ʲ] Moksha, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd uvular trill [ʀʲ] Approximants palzd bilabial approximant [β̞ʲ] Turkish (allophone of /v/) palzd labiodental approximant [ʋʲ] Ukrainian, Kashmiri [confirm place; may be bilabial or [wʲ].] palzd dental lateral approximant [l̪ʲ] Kashmiri [confirm it is dental], Tsakhur palzd alveolar lateral approximant [lʲ] Russian (dental or alveolar), Ukrainian, Irish, Võro, Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate), Moksha, Forest Nenets, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate; contrasts with palatal) palzd voiceless alveolar lateral approximant [l̥ʲ] Moksha, Kildin Sámi (may also be geminate) palzd alveolar approximant [ɹʲ] Siberian Ingrian Finnish (may also be labio-palatalized; may be geminate) palzd retroflex approximant [ɻʲ] Malayalam Ejectives palzd alveolar ejective [tʲʼ] Chʼol palzd alveolar ejective affricate [tsʲʼ] Tsakhur palzd velar ejective [kʲʼ] Tsakhur, Abaza, Ubykh palzd uvular ejective [qʲʼ] Ubykh palzd uvular ejective affricate [qχʲʼ] Abaza

[wʲ] is claimed for [Forest Nenets](/source/Forest_Nenets); this is most likely [[ɥ](/source/Voiced_labial%E2%80%93palatal_approximant)]. Some reported palatalized velars may actually be pre-velar or even palatal, rather than phonetically palatalized.

Any difference between e.g. [ʃʲ] and [ɕ] or [ʔʲ] and [jˀ] may be as much analysis as phonetics.

## See also

- [Iotation](/source/Iotation), a related process in [Slavic languages](/source/Slavic_languages)

- [Manner of articulation](/source/Manner_of_articulation)

- [Labialization](/source/Labialization)

- [Labio-palatalization](/source/Labio-palatalization)

- [List of phonetics topics](/source/List_of_phonetics_topics)

- [Palatal hook](/source/Palatal_hook)

- [Palatalization in the Romance languages](/source/Palatalization_in_the_Romance_languages)

- [Soft sign](/source/Soft_sign), a [Cyrillic](/source/Cyrillic_script) grapheme indicating palatalization

- [Yōon](/source/Y%C5%8Don)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Daniel Jones & Dennis Ward (1969) *The Phonetics of Russian*. Cambridge University Press. p. 81 *ff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Laura Kafka-Price & Maksymilian Krzak (2025) *Polish Pronunciation Guide for Singers.* Oxford University Press. p. 24 *ff*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Thurneysen, Rudolf. [*A Grammar of Old Irish*](https://archive.org/details/thurneysen-a-grammar-of-old-irish/page/54/mode/2up?q=palatal&view=theater) (Fifth ed.). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. p. 55. Retrieved 28 October 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Chițoran (2001](#CITEREFChițoran2001):11)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** See [Lightner (1972](#CITEREFLightner1972):9–11, 12–13) for a fuller list of examples.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Bauer, Michael. *Blas na Gàidhlig: The Practical Guide to Gaelic Pronunciation.* Glasgow: Akerbeltz, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Nance, C., McLeod, W., [O'Rourke, B.](/source/Bernadette_O'Rourke) and Dunmore, S. (2016), Identity, accent aim, and motivation in second language users: New Scottish Gaelic speakers' use of phonetic variation. J Sociolinguistics, 20: 164–191. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1111/josl.12173](https://doi.org/10.1111%2Fjosl.12173)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-FOOTNOTENamboodiripad2016_8-0)** [Namboodiripad (2016)](#CITEREFNamboodiripad2016).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Dowla Khan, Sameer ud (2021). [*Palatalization and velarization in Malayalam nasals: a preliminary acoustic study of the dental–alveolar contrast*](https://www.reed.edu/linguistics/khan/assets/Khan%202021%20Palatalization%20and%20velarization%20in%20Malayalam%20nasals%20-%20a%20preliminary%20acoustic%20study%20of%20the%20dental-alveolar%20contrast.pdf) (PDF). Reed College.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** ["Phonetic implementation of geminates in Malayalam nouns"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120415145403/http://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/jcoleman/Local&Simpson1999.pdf) (PDF). Archived from [the original](https://www.phon.ox.ac.uk/jcoleman/Local&Simpson1999.pdf) (PDF) on 2012-04-15.

## Bibliography

- Bynon, Theodora. *Historical Linguistics*. Cambridge University Press, 1977. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-21582-X](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-21582-X) (hardback) or [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-521-29188-0](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-521-29188-0) (paperback).

- Bhat, D.N.S. (1978), "A General Study of Palatalization", *Universals of Human Language*, **2**: 47–92

- Namboodiripad, Savithry (2016), [*Malayalam (Namboodiri Dialect)*](https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/malayalam-namboodiri-dialect/19CBF6E9E1CE65A84928F7C9C2286A9B), Cambridge University Press, [archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20220302184525/https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-the-international-phonetic-association/article/malayalam-namboodiri-dialect/19CBF6E9E1CE65A84928F7C9C2286A9B) from the original on 2 March 2022, retrieved 22 December 2020

- Buckley, E. (2003), "The Phonetic Origin and Phonological Extension of Gallo-Roman Palatalization", *Proceedings of the North American Phonology Conferences 1 and 2*, [CiteSeerX](/source/CiteSeerX_(identifier)) [10.1.1.81.4003](https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.81.4003)

- Chițoran, Ioana (2001), *The Phonology of Romanian: A Constraint-based Approach*, Berlin & New York: Mouton de Gruyter, [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [3-11-016766-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/3-11-016766-2)

- Crowley, Terry. (1997) *An Introduction to Historical Linguistics.* 3rd edition. Oxford University Press.

- Lightner, Theodore M. (1972), *Problems in the Theory of Phonology, I: Russian phonology and Turkish phonology*, Edmonton: Linguistic Research, inc

- [Pullum, Geoffrey K.](/source/Geoffrey_K._Pullum); Ladusaw, William A. (1996). *[Phonetic Symbol Guide](/source/Phonetic_Symbol_Guide)*. University of Chicago Press.

## External links

- [Erkki Savolainen, Internetix 1998. *Suomen murteet – Koprinan murretta*.](https://web.archive.org/web/20050415185822/http://www.internetix.ofw.fi/opinnot/opintojaksot/8kieletkirjallisuus/aidinkieli/murteet/koprina.html) (with a sound sample with palatalized t')

- [Frisian assibilation as a hypercorrect effect due to a substrate language](http://www.oocities.org/ekfrysk/ASHYP5b2.htm)

v t e Articulation Articulatory phonetics – Co-articulation – International Phonetic Alphabet Place Labial Bilabial Labiodental Dentolabial Coronal Linguolabial Interdental Dental Denti-alveolar Alveolar Postalveolar Retroflex Active place Apical Laminal Subapical Dorsal Alveolo-palatal Palatal Velar Uvular Laryngeal Pharyngeal/epiglottal Glottal Double articulation Labial–coronal Labial–alveolar Labial–retroflex Labial–palatal Labial–velar Labial–uvular Coronal–velar Uvular–epiglottal Pathological Velopharyngeal Other Bidental Manner Obstruent Plosive Pre-plosion Lateral release Nasal release Unreleased Affricate Trilled Fricative Sibilant Sonorant Nasal Prenasal Vowel Nasal Strident Approximant Semivowel Vibrant Tap/flap Trill Liquid Rhotic Lateral Occlusive Continuant Nonexplosive Airstream Egressive Pulmonic Ingressive Glottalic Ejective Implosive Click Pulmonic Ejective Nasal Glottalized Percussive Secondary articulation Labialization Roundedness Palatalization Labio-palatalization Velarization Uvularization Pharyngealization Related Nasalization Sulcalization Phonation (Voice) Glottal Voiceless Tenuis Whispery Aspirated Preaspirated Breathy Slack Modal Stiff Creaky Glottalized Supra-glottal Faucal Harsh Register Whistle Falsetto Vocal fry Transitional Vibrato Passaggio Resonance Onset time

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Palatalization (phonetics)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatalization_(phonetics)) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palatalization_(phonetics)?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.