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fortis

fortis

9.6
Describing a consonant pronounced with more force than another
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɔrtɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fortis
  • The teacher explained that a fortis consonant is produced with more muscular effort than its lenis counterpart.

Examples

  • Linguists often compare fortis and lenis consonants to study differences in pronunciation.

  • The teacher explained that a fortis consonant is produced with more muscular effort.

  • In English, the fortis sounds include the voiceless stops like 'p', 't', and 'k'.

  • The fortis consonants in this language are pronounced more strongly.

  • In phonetics, fortis sounds contrast with lenis sounds.

  • In English, the fortis sounds include voiceless stops like 'p', 't', and 'k', which are pronounced with greater force.

  • Linguists study fortis and lenis consonants to understand the differences in their pronunciation.

Compounds

aqua fortis
  • Archaic
9.9

A very strong acid used in chemistry to dissolve metals

How Forceful

aspirated
  • Specialized
6.7
fortis
  • Specialized
9.6

Surface Forms

fortis positive

Etymology

Fortis comes from the Latin word fortis, which means 'strong', the same idea you see in English words like fort and force. So, calling a consonant fortis means it is a 'strong' sound made with more force or tension.