palatalization - Wiktionary, the free dictionary

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

• palatalisation

From palatal +‎ -ization or palatalize +‎ -ation. Earliest instance 1863 (palatalisation does already occur in 1862 in W. H. I. Bleek's A comparative grammar of South African languages. Part I. Phonology).

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˌpælətəlaɪˈzeɪʃən/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˌpælətəlɪˈzeɪʃən/

palatalization (countable and uncountable, plural palatalizations)

1. (phonology, uncountable) The state or quality of being palatalized, of pronouncing a sound with the tongue against the palate of the mouth that normally is not.

   The word "nature" is commonly pronounced with a palatalization of the letter t to sound like ch.

2. (phonology, countable) An instance of pronunciation in which a sound is palatalized.