postalveolar

Postalveolar is a term in articulatory phonetics describing consonants produced with the tongue in the region just behind the alveolar ridge. In this area, the blade or tip of the tongue makes contact or approaches the post-alveolar space, which lies between the alveolar ridge and the hard palate. The designation is about place of articulation; the exact articulation can vary, and some sources treat postalveolar as synonymous with palato-alveolar, though others distinguish the two.

Common postalveolar sounds include the English sounds [ʃ] as in ship and [ʒ] as in measure, as well as the two postalveolar affricates [t͡ʃ] as in chip and [d͡ʒ] as in judge. These differ from alveolar sounds such as [s] and [z], and from true palatal sounds such as [ɕ] or [ʑ]. Not all languages have all four, and some may merge them or realize them with different airstream mechanisms or voicing patterns.

The terminology varies by tradition. Many phonologists use palato-alveolar as a near-synonym of postalveolar, reflecting contact that often extends toward the palate. Others reserve postalveolar for a broader set of retracted articulations behind the alveolar ridge. In language sound systems, postalveolar consonants commonly contrast with both alveolar and palatal sounds, contributing to distinctive phonemic inventories.