alveolar consonant
Quick Summary
In phonetics, an alveolar consonant is a speech sound produced by raising the tip or blade of the tongue toward or against the alveolar ridge, which is the bony ridge behind the upper front teeth. This articulation creates a partial or complete blockage of airflow in the vocal tract. Examples of alveolar consonants include the sounds represented by the letters 't', 'd', and 'n' in English. These sounds are classified by their place of articulation (alveolar), manner of articulation (e.g., stop, fricative), and whether they are voiced or voiceless.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
