Meanings
nounpalatalization (countable and uncountable, plural palatalizations)
plural palatalizations · alternative palatalisation
- uncountablehuman sciencesThe state or quality of being palatalized, of pronouncing a sound with the tongue against the palate of the mouth that normally is not.
The word "nature" is commonly pronounced with a palatalization of the letter t to sound like ch.
- countablehuman sciencesAn instance of pronunciation in which a sound is palatalized.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*pleth₂-?
- Proto-Indo-European*pel-?
- Proto-Indo-European*pleh₂-os
- Latinpalātum
- Old Frenchpalat
- Middle Englishpalate
- Englishpalate
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishpalatal
- Englishpalatalize
- Englishpalatalization
From palatal + -ization or palatalize + -ation. First attested in 1863 in this spelling, 1862 in the spelling palatalisation.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque bustidura
- bustidurastate
Bulgarian палатализа́ция, палатализа́ция
- палатализа́ция (palatalizácija)state
- палатализа́ция (palatalizácija)instance
Catalan palatalització, palatalització
- palatalitzacióstate
- palatalitzacióinstance
Chinese Mandarin 顎化 /颚化, 腭化
- 顎化 /颚化 (èhuà)state
- 腭化 (èhuà)state
- 顎音化 /颚音化 (èyīnhuà)state
- 腭音化 (èyīnhuà)state
- 顎音化 /颚音化 (èyīnhuà)instance
Czech palatalizace
- palatalizacestate
Danish palatalisering
- palataliseringstate
Estonian peenendus, palatalisatsioon
- peenendusstate
- palatalisatsioonstate
- peenendusinstance
- palatalisatsiooninstance
Finnish liudentuminen, palatalisaatio
- liudentuminenstate
- palatalisaatiostate
- liudennusinstance
- palatalisointiinstance
French palatalisation, palatalisation
- palatalisationstate
- palatalisationinstance
German Palatalisierung
- Palatalisierunginstance
Greek ουρανικοποίηση, ουράνωση
- ουρανικοποίηση (ouranikopoíisi)state
- ουράνωση (ouránosi)state
Hungarian palatalizáció, palatalizálás
- palatalizációstate
- palatalizálásinstance
Irish caoile, caolú
- caoilestate
- caolúinstance
Italian palatalizzazione, palatalizzazione
- palatalizzazionestate
- palatalizzazioneinstance
Japanese 口蓋音化, 口蓋音化
- 口蓋音化 (kōgai onka)state
- 口蓋音化 (kōgaionka)instance
Korean 구개음화, 구개음화
- 구개음화 (gugaeeumhwa)state
- 구개음화 (gugaeeumhwa)instance
Norwegian palatalisering
- palataliseringstate
Polish palatalizacja, zmiękczenie
- palatalizacjastate
- zmiękczeniestate
- palatalizacjainstance
- zmiękczenieinstance
Portuguese palatalização, palatização
- palatalizaçãostate
- palatizaçãostate
- palatalizaçãoinstance
- palatizaçãoinstance
Russian палатализа́ция, смягче́ние
- палатализа́ция (palatalizácija)state
- смягче́ние (smjaxčénije)state
- палатализа́ция (palatalizácija)instance
- смягче́ние (smjaxčénije)instance
Scottish Gaelic palatachadh, palatachadh
- palatachadhstate
- palatachadhinstance
Slovak palatalizácia
- palatalizáciastate
Spanish palatalización, palatalización
- palatalizaciónstate
- palatalizacióninstance
Swedish palatalisering
- palataliseringstate
Vietnamese vòm hoá, vòm hoá
- vòm hoástate
- vòm hoáinstance
Welsh taflodoli, taflodoliad
- taflodolistate
- taflodoliadinstance
Cite this entry
APA
palatalization. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palatalization
MLA
“palatalization.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palatalization. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “palatalization,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/palatalization.
Source: palatalization on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.