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tongue-tie
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Also called:
Ankyloglossia
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tongue-tie

physiology
Also known as: ankyloglossia
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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History

tongue-tie, congenital shortening of the flap of mucous membrane (frenum) beneath the tongue, a condition that sometimes interferes with protrusion of the tongue. The name comes from the belief, of folk origin, that the anomaly is the cause of speaking or feeding difficulties. Medical studies suggest that such shortening of the frenum is a normal variation that does not interfere with either feeding or speaking and usually needs no treatment.