PALATOGRAPHY – A WINDOW INTO ORALDYNAMICS & SPEECH ARTICULATION

A palatogram is a diagnostic tool used to visualize the patterns of contact between the tongue and the roof of the mouth (palate) during speech production. It provides a clear and detailed representation of the articulatory movements, essential for understanding speech mechanics. Traditional palatography involves applying a special substance to the palate to capture tongue impressions, while modern methods, such as Electropalatography (EPG), use sensor-equipped palates to record real-time tongue-palate contact. Palatograms are widely used in clinical speech therapy to assess and correct articulation disorders by offering precise feedback on tongue positioning. Furthermore, palatograms can be applied in language acquisi- tion research, forensic linguistics, and speech disorders related to cleft palate or other structural issues. Despite challenges such as invasiveness and interpretation complexity, the growing advancement of palatographic technologies continues to enhance their accuracy and usefulness in both clinical and research settings.