palato-alveolar (adj.)

A term used in the PHONETIC classification of CONSONANT sounds on the basis of their PLACE OF ARTICULATION: it refers to a sound made by a double movement of the TONGUE towards the area between the ALVEOLAR ridge and hard PALATE: the BLADE of the tongue (or the TIP and blade together) makes contact with the alveolar ridge, while the FRONT of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate. Examples in English are the sh-  of ship and the -s-  of treasure. Several other varieties of sound may be articulated in this part of the mouth by slightly varying the position and shape of the tongue, e.g. ALVEO(LO)-PALATAL sounds, which are important in some LANGUAGES, such as Polish.