Fortis and lenis the inside story

Fortis and lenis – the inside story

ES IV S LO P fortis lenis A IC FR TI ES V ES T FR AF CA I

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

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

FORTIS • voicing LENIS 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 • length LENIS longer shorter initial medial final to do weighty lady mate made initial medial final sink zinc looser loser priceprize

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

tis r is n Fo English Le ph b ph p p b PIE BUY Icelandic PÆ BÆ French PEAU BEAU

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

p. H-sp, t. H-st, k. H-sk pin p. Hin spin tie t. Hai sty stai key k. HI ski sk. I

pin penni spin spenni bin benni

VOT Voice Onset time

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

VOT Voice Onset Time

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