labiodental

This term is a technical descriptor used almost exclusively within the fields of linguistics and phonetics. It describes the specific physical articulation where the lower lip makes contact with the upper teeth, as seen in the production of the sounds /f/ and /v/ in English. Because it is a specialized scientific term, it is rarely encountered in casual conversation and is typically found in academic papers, dictionaries of phonology, or language learning textbooks.

In a linguistic context, it is often paired with other descriptors such as voiceless or voiced to provide a complete phonetic characterization of a consonant. It should not be confused with bilabial sounds, which involve both lips, or dental sounds, which involve the tongue and the teeth.