Definition

Describing a sound that is produced by curling the tip of the tongue back towards the roof of the mouth.

Example

In some languages, cacuminal sounds are common and can change the meaning of words.

Conversation

Have you ever tried to pronounce words with a cacuminal sound?

No, I can't say that I have. What does it even mean?

It means to articulate with the tip of the tongue turned back in the mouth.

That sounds interesting! I’ll have to practice some of those sounds.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Cacuminal is derived from the Latin word "cacumen" (meaning peak or summit) combined with the suffix "-al" (meaning pertaining to). The term refers to something that is related to or resembling a peak, particularly in phonetics, where it describes a type of sound produced with the tongue raised towards the roof of the mouth.

Memory Tip

Think of 'peak' ('cacumen') to remember that 'cacuminal' refers to sounds made with the tongue raised towards the roof of the mouth, like reaching for a peak.

Visually Confused Words