noun
lene
LEEN
noun
1
In phonetics, an unaspirated (or "smooth") voiceless stop consonant, as opposed to an aspirated one.
"Linguists contrast the lene consonants of one language with the aspirated stops of another."
How to Use Lene
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA specialist phonetics term for a "soft," unaspirated consonant sound, as opposed to an aspirated one.
When to use it
Technical linguistics term, not everyday vocabulary.
Easily confused with
lenis
Word Forms
lenes plural
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Linguists contrast the _____ consonants of one language with the aspirated stops of another.
Etymology
An anglicised form of Latin lēnis ("smooth, gentle").