Link Centre Dictionary

retroflex

ret·rof·lex

UK/ˈɹɛt.ɹəʊ.flɛks/ US/ˈɹɛt.ɹə.flɛks/ uncommon

adjective

1.
2.

pronounced with the tip of the tongue turned back toward the hard palate

Synonyms
Similar

verb

1.
2.

articulate (a consonant) with the tongue curled back against the palate

  • “Indian accents can be characterized by the fact that speakers retroflex their consonants”

Origin

From Latin rētrōflexus, the perfect participle of rētrōflectō (“bend, turn”), from flectō (“bend, turn”).

Phrases

  • retroflex hook

Related words

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.