Pterygoid notch

The pterygoid notch is a distinct groove situated between the lower ends of the diverging medial and lateral pterygoid plates. This notch serves as an important landmark, denoting where the pyramidal process of the palatine bone connects with the sphenoid bone by snugly fitting into the notch. At this point, the tensor veli palatini muscle comes into play, wrapping around the pterygoid notch and hamulus as it extends toward the soft palate, affecting how we swallow and speak.