uvular

/ˈjuːvjələr/
adjective
  1. Relating to the uvula, the small fleshy piece that hangs at the back of the throat.
    • The doctor examined the uvular area to check for swelling.
    • A uvular infection can make swallowing very painful.
    • Some languages have uvular sounds made by vibrating the uvula.
  2. Describing a speech sound produced by the back of the tongue near or against the uvula.
    • The French 'r' is a uvular sound that many learners find difficult.
    • In Arabic, the letter 'qaf' is a uvular consonant.
    • The linguist explained how uvular trills are formed in the throat.
noun
  1. A speech sound made by the back of the tongue near the uvula.
    • The uvular is common in many Semitic languages.
    • The teacher listed the uvulars found in the language's phonetic inventory.
    • He practiced the uvular until he could pronounce it correctly.
What does "uvular" mean? | whatsthatwordmean | whatsthatwordmean