Fortis and lenis – the inside story

PLOSIVES FRICATIVES AFFRICATES fortis lenis

FORTIS LENIS voicing length strength aspiration glottalization unvoiced often voiced length longer shorter strength stronger weaker may be aspirated not aspirated aspiration not glottalized may be glottalized glottalization

FORTIS LENIS voicing unvoiced often voiced initial to do medial weighty lady final mate made initial sink zinc medial looser loser final price prize

FORTIS LENIS voicing unvoiced often voiced Particular problems for Icelanders: voicing of final plosives rip – rib, rope – robe, wipe – vibe mat – mad, mate – meid, rote – road leak – league, lock – log, back – bag batch – badge, rich – ridge

FORTIS LENIS length longer shorter initial to do medial weighty lady final mate made initial sink zinc medial looser loser final price prize

FORTIS LENIS length longer shorter Note: there are no long consonants in English as there are in Icelandic Compare: rubber – labour laddy – lady eager – bigger

FORTIS LENIS strength stronger weaker initial to do medial weighty lady final mate made initial sink zinc medial looser loser final price prize

FORTIS LENIS aspiration may be not aspirated aspirated pie buy tie die cave gave

FORTIS LENIS aspiration may be not aspirated aspirated pie buy spy púa búa spúla

FORTIS LENIS aspiration may be not aspirated aspirated Particular problems for Icelanders: preaspiration rappa – supper, stopp – stop skvetta – better, matt – Matt - mat rekka – wrecker, lakk - lack fitness, apple, bottle, picnic

FORTIS LENIS glottalization may be not glottalized glottalized that what shop make match captain

FORTIS LENIS voicing length strength aspiration glottalization unvoiced often voiced length longer shorter strength stronger weaker may be aspirated not aspirated aspiration not glottalized may be glottalized glottalization

FORTIS LENIS voicing aspiration unvoiced often voiced not aspirated may be aspirated

English ph b Icelandic ph p French p b Lenis Fortis PIE BUY PÆ BÆ PEAU BEAU

ph p b Icelandic pæ bæ French peau beau English pie buy

pH-sp, tH-st, kH-sk pin pHin tie tHai key kHI spin sty stai ski skI

pin penni spin spenni bin benni

VOT Voice Onset time

VOT no voicing voicing release labour, grabber ábót, labba lip closure release labour, grabber ábót, labba super, supper pin penni spin spenna, benni bin rabb, rop rub top topp

VOT Voice Onset Time

lip closure release no voicing voicing labba labour pay, páll bay bein