The word "palato-alveolar" refers to the area of the mouth where the palate and the alveolar ridge meet. It's a technical term used in dentistry and phonetics. Synonyms for this term include palato-alveolar ridge, palatal ridge, and alveopalatal. These terms describe the same place in the mouth. However, people use different synonyms depending on the context. For example, a dentist or orthodontist might use palatal ridge when talking to a patient, while a phonetician might use alveopalatal when describing a sound in a language. Regardless of the synonym used, they all refer to the same area in the mouth.