lenis

About 0.04 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. adjective Relatively weakly articulated, hence unaspirated and possibly voiced; especially as compared to the others of a group of homorganic consonants.

   Unaspirated [p] is lenis in Danish, the corresponding fortis consonant being [pʰ]. The same sound is fortis in French, the corresponding lenis consonant being [b].

2. noun A lenis consonant.

Similar words

lenape lispy laryngealized soft labiated semiweak low-octane lennock close lissome

Often followed by

stops consonants and stop contrast plosives distinction in consonant