Palatals are
consonants articulated with the middle or back part of the tongue raised against the hard palate (the middle part of the roof of the mouth). English [j] (spelt
y) is a palatal
approximant, and German [ç] (spelt
ch after front vowels, as in
nicht) is a palatal
fricative. Consonants with other primary articulations may be
palatalised, that is, accompanied by the raising of the tongue surface towards the hard palate. For example, English [S] (spelt
sh) has such a palatal component, although its primary articulation involves the tip of the tongue and the upper gum (this type of articulation is called
palatoalveolar[?]).
