1. to change a consonant sound so that it is pronounced with the tongue touching or near the hard palate
Usage: linguistics; phonetics

Examples

• The /k/ sound palatalizes before front vowels in many languages.
• Russian palatalizes certain consonants in specific phonetic environments.
• The linguist explained how the consonant palatalizes in this dialect.
• When /t/ palatalizes, it often becomes a /tʃ/ sound.
• The sound change palatalizes the original velar consonant.