Alveolar consonants are articulated with the tongue against or close to the superior
alveolar ridge, which is called that because it contains the
alveoli (the sockets) of the superior teeth. Alveolar consonants may be articulated with the tip of the tongue (so-called
apical consonants), as in English, or with the flat of the tongue just above the tip (the "blade" of the tongue; called
laminal consonants), as in French and Spanish. The laminal alveolar articulation is often mistakenly called
dental, because the tip of the tongue can be seen near to or touching the teeth. However, it is the rearmost point of contact that defines the place of articulation; this is where the oral cavity ends, and it is the resonant space of the oral cavity that gives consonants and vowels their characteristic timbre.