palatal

/ˈpælətl̩/

//ˈpælətl̩// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"palatal" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“palatal” is an uncommon English word, ranked #61,011 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#61,011
frequency rank, English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Pertaining to the palate.

Key facts for palatal
PropertyValue
Headwordpalatal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈpælətl̩/
Letters7
Frequency rank#61,011
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “palatal” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). palatal lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for palatal is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈpælətl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #61,011 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for palatal, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From palate + -al. The correct English form is palatal, spelled P-A-L-A-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to the palate.
  2. 2
    Of an upper tooth, on the side facing the palate.
  3. 3
    Articulated at the hard palate.
  4. 4
    Articulated at the palate: dorsal.

Etymology

From palate + -al.

This word in other languages

palatal(Español)palatal(Français)palatal(Deutsch)palatal(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "palatal"?
"palatal" is spelled P-A-L-A-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈpælətl̩/.
What does "palatal" mean?
As an adjective, "palatal" means: Pertaining to the palate.
How do you pronounce "palatal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "palatal" is /ˈpælətl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "palatal"?
From palate + -al. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “palatal”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is P-A-L-A-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈpælətl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list