There are contrasting alveolar and postalveolar apical consonants, the latter often called retroflex.

Apical consonants are either alveolar or postalveolar.

Because laminal consonants use the flat of the tongue, they cover a broader area of contact than apical consonants.

This contrasts with apical consonants, which are produced by creating an obstruction with the tongue apex (tongue tip) only.

Alveolar consonants that are pronounced with the tip of the tongue, like in English, are called apical consonants while those pronounced using the blade of the tongue which is the flat part of the tongue behind the tip, are called laminal consonants.

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.