Which of the following characters/letters is NOT classified as a dental () consonant?
- Aद (da)
- Bट (ṭa)
- Cत (ta)
- Dध (dha)
Solution & Step-by-step Explanation
Let's check the phonetic classification of these letters based on their place of articulation:
* The complete त-वर्ग (consisting of त, थ, द, ध, न) are dental consonants (), produced by touching the tongue tip to the upper teeth.
* The letter ट belongs to the ट-वर्ग (ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण), which are retroflex consonants (), produced by curling the tongue back against the roof of the mouth.
Hence, ट is not dental.
* The complete त-वर्ग (consisting of त, थ, द, ध, न) are dental consonants (), produced by touching the tongue tip to the upper teeth.
* The letter ट belongs to the ट-वर्ग (ट, ठ, ड, ढ, ण), which are retroflex consonants (), produced by curling the tongue back against the roof of the mouth.
Hence, ट is not dental.