nasally

Nasally is an adverb formed from nasal. It describes something related to the nose or delivered through the nose. In general English usage, it may describe a manner of speaking or a route of administration.

In linguistics, nasality refers to the resonance added to speech sounds produced with the velum lowered, allowing air to pass through the nasal cavity. Sounds produced with nasalization are described as nasally produced. Nasal vowels and nasal consonants are key features. The term nasally can describe speech with a nasal quality, such as a voice that sounds blocked or nasal. In many languages vowels can be nasalized in certain phonological contexts.

In medicine and pharmacology, nasally refers to delivery via the nasal route. Intranasal administration is used for nasal sprays, decongestants, and certain vaccines and medications because the nasal mucosa offers rapid absorption and a relatively noninvasive route. Intranasal vaccines and sprays are common examples; some flu vaccines have been marketed as intranasal. Side effects can include nasal irritation or dryness.

This term is also used to describe voice quality in speech pathology: a nasally produced voice relies on nasal resonance. Overall, nasally serves as a general descriptor connecting to the nose across linguistic, medical, and everyday usage.