“Palate” or “Palette” or “Pallet”—Which to use?

“Palate” or “Palette” or “Pallet”

Overview

palate / palette / pallet are similar-sounding terms with different meanings (referred to as homophones). To better understand the differences, see below for definitions, pronunciation guides, and example sentences using each term. 👇

Definitions

palate: (noun) the upper surface of the mouth that separates the oral and nasal cavities.

palette: (noun) the range of colour characteristic of a particular artist or painting or school of art. (noun) board that provides a flat surface on which artists mix paints and the range of colors used.

pallet: (noun) a portable platform for storing or moving goods that are stacked on it. (noun) a hand tool with a flat blade used by potters for mixing and shaping clay. (noun) a mattress filled with straw or a pad made of quilts; used as a bed.

Pronunciation

palate: p·AE·l·ah·t

palette: p·AE·l·ah·t

pallet: p·AE·l·ah·t

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Examples in Context

Examples of “palate”

Palate Press The Online Wine Magazine…
…behind the end of the palate, is rounded at the frond…
…a cleansing agent on the palate by binding to the grease…
…during swallowing as the soft palate is not present to close…
Palate Press
…rarely reported on the soft palate and floor of the mouth.
The palate itself is flat and ends…
Cleft lip and palate is a multi-factorial congenital disorder…
…the palatal processes, a cleft palate is the opening of the…
…a drying effect on the palate.

Examples of “palette”

…for using too narrow a palette, with too many greys and…
…to the Mediterranean and the palette of Matisse .
…the half-empty country in a palette of bright shades and colors.
…Great American Nude in a palette limited to those colors and…
In addition to sound palette and form, there were the…
…Book Resources said: "The color palette seems vintage and dusty, recalling…
…great detail with a varied palette, probably in homage to the…
…versions used a blue/orange/white/black default palette, which was selected for high…
Users have an expanded palette of editing tools (including the…
…and his own unclassifiable sonic palette.

Examples of “pallet”

…had to construct a wooden pallet.
A pallet factory works wood from the
…note, director, gallery, portrait, brush, pallet, montage, surrealism, impressionism, fauvism, cubism,…

(Examples are Wikipedia snippets under the CC ShareAlike 3.0 license. Definitions drawn from WordNet.)

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