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Asubapical consonant is a consonant made by contact with the underside of the tip of the tongue. The only common subapical articulations are in thepostalveolar topalatal region, which are called "retroflex".
Most so-called retroflex consonants are more properly calledapical. True subapical retroflexes are found in theDravidian languages ofSouthern India.
Occasionally, the term "sublaminal" is used for "subapical", which might be better used for sounds pronounced between the underside of the tongue and the floor of the mouth, such assucking-teeth and theslapped clicks ofSandawe.
