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lenis

 [lee-nis, ley-]  

le·nis

   [lee-nis, ley-] adjective, noun, plural le·nes  [lee-neez, ley-] . Phonetics
adjective
1.
pronounced with relatively weak muscular tension and breath pressure, resulting in weak sound effect: in stressed or unstressed position, (b, d, g, j, v, th̸, z, and zh) are lenis in English, as compared with (p, t, k, ch, f, th, s, and sh), which are fortis. Compare fortis (def. 1).
noun
2.
a lenis consonant.

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Lenis is always a great word to know.
So is sound. Does it mean:
a speech sound of vowel quality used as a consonant; (w) in wet or (y) in yet
the audible result of an utterance or portion of an utterance
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Origin:
1925–30; < Latin: soft, mild, gentle
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To lenis
Collins
World English Dictionary
lenis (ˈliːnɪs)
 
—adj
1.  (of a consonant) articulated with weak muscular tension
 
—n , lenes
2.  a consonant, such as English b or v, pronounced with weak muscular force
 
[C19: from Latin: gentle]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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