In phonetics, a coronal consonant is a consonant sound that is produced with the front part of the tongue (the blade or tip) making contact with or close to the upper teeth ([[dental]]) or alveolar ridge, the bony ridge behind the upper teeth ([[alveolar]]). This includes sounds like /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /n/, and /l/. Coronal consonants are important in many languages, including English, as they can help to distinguish between different words and meanings. For example, the difference between "tin" and "sin" is determined by the position of the tongue when producing the initial consonant sound.