Dental consonant

Dental consonant

A dental consonant is a type of consonant articulated with the tongue against the upper teeth. Dental consonants are common in many of the world's languages, including Spanish, French, and Italian. They are distinct from alveolar consonants, which are articulated with the tongue against the alveolar ridge just behind the teeth.

Articulation[edit | edit source]

Dental consonants are produced by placing the tongue against the upper teeth. This can involve the tip of the tongue (apical) or the blade of the tongue (laminal). The primary dental consonants are:

Dental plosives: [t̪], [d̪]
Dental fricatives: [θ], [ð]
Dental nasals: [n̪]
Dental laterals: [l̪]

Examples in Languages[edit | edit source]

In Spanish, the dental plosives [t̪] and [d̪] are found in words like "taco" and "dado".
In French, the dental nasal [n̪] appears in words like "neuf".
In Italian, the dental lateral [l̪] is present in words like "luna".

Comparison with Alveolar Consonants[edit | edit source]

Dental consonants are often contrasted with alveolar consonants. While dental consonants are articulated with the tongue against the teeth, alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against the alveolar ridge. This difference in articulation can lead to distinct phonetic characteristics and can affect the sound and pronunciation of words in various languages.

Phonetic Transcription[edit | edit source]

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), dental consonants are typically marked with a subscript bridge ( ̪ ) under the letter. For example, the dental plosive [t̪] and the dental fricative [θ].