Many of these languages have a phonological distinction which is signalled by the presence or absence of palatalisation of consonants. Hard consonant is the term used for the non-palatalised variety. Hard palate An area of the roof of the oral cavity lying between the alveolar ridge and the soft palate. The hard palate is the passive articulator for palatal and for retroflex sounds. A component in the spectrum of a periodic sound.
Harmonics occur at integer multiples of the sound's fundamental frequency.
The decomposition of a complex periodic sound into its components. The result is usually displayed as an amplitude-frequency spectrum . The addition of sine waves at varying frequencies and amplitudes to produce a complex periodic sound. An intonation pattern common in Dutch, but with correlates in other languages, such as English. The pattern consists of a rise in pitch followed by a level plateau and then a pitch fall.