Pronunciation GB: ˌhaɪpəneɪˈzæləti, GA: ˌhaɪpərneɪˈzæləti

A condition where it is impossible to prevent airflow through the nasal cavity. This may be caused by a split or hole in the palate or by paralysis of the musculature controlling soft palate movement. The majority of speech sounds in hypernasal speech are nasal or nasalised. An example of a hypernasal utterance is ˈmẽɪ̃mĩ for ˈbeɪbi.