postalveolaarisella

postalveolaarisella is a phonetic term referring to a sound produced with the tongue blade positioned just behind the alveolar ridge, but not making full contact. This is distinct from alveolar sounds, which are made with the tongue touching the ridge directly behind the upper teeth. The postalveolar place of articulation is where sounds like the English "sh" in "ship" and the "ch" in "church" are articulated. These sounds are often described as being further back in the mouth than pure alveolar sounds.

In linguistics, postalveolar sounds are a category within the broader classification of consonants based on where in the vocal tract the airflow is obstructed. The alveolar ridge itself is a bony prominence on the palate. The area just behind it, the postalveolar region, allows for a variety of fricative and affricate sounds. The precise position and degree of constriction in this area contribute to the unique acoustic properties of postalveolar consonants. Understanding postalveolar articulation is crucial for phoneticians and phonologists when analyzing and transcribing speech.