A tongue pressure unit for measurement of lingual strength and patterns of tongue pressure is described. It consists of a force displacement transducer, a single channel, direct writing recording system, and a specially designed tongue pressure disk, head stabilizer, and pressure unit holder. Calibration with known weights indicated an essentially linear and consistent response. An evaluation of subject reliability in which 17 young adults were tested on two occasions revealed no significant difference in maximum pressure exerted during the two test trials. Suggestions for clinical and research use of the instrumentation are noted.