retroflex

Retroflex describes a class of consonants articulated with the tongue curled back toward the palate. In this articulation the tip or underside of the tongue is raised toward the postalveolar region behind the alveolar ridge, creating a constriction that is distinct from alveolar or palatal places of articulation. Realizations can be apical (tip-based) or subapical (more toward the blade), and the exact contact may be with the palate or just behind it.

The retroflex family includes a range of manners of articulation. Commonly cited are the stops [ʈ] (voiceless) and [ɖ] (voiced), as well as their aspirated counterparts. The set also includes retroflex nasals such as [ɳ], a retroflex lateral approximant [ɭ], and retroflex fricatives such as [ʂ] (voiceless) and [ʐ] (voiced). Additional retroflex segments include a retroflex tap [ɽ] and a retroflex approximant [ɻ]. The precise inventory varies by language, and some languages have both retroflex and non-retroflex series.

Geographically, retroflex consonants are a notable feature of many languages of the Indian subcontinent, especially in Indo-Aryan and Dravidian languages (for example Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Kannada). Sanskrit and many descendants historically contribute to their distribution. They are less common outside this area, though contact and historical change have spread or borrowed retroflex contrasts in some cases.

In linguistic notation, retroflex sounds are described as a distinct place of articulation and are often represented by dedicated IPA symbols or diacritics indicating retroflexion. The term primarily concerns the place of articulation rather than a single phoneme, encompassing a family of related sounds across languages.