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Glite Dictionary
📚 No verb tense 😌 No tension 🗣️ Lax pronunciation
tenselessness

tenselessness

9.9
Saying vowels with less mouth or tongue tightness so they sound softer
  • noun
  • /ˈtɛnsləsnəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : ausencia de tensión
  • Linguists noted the tenselessness of certain vowels in the regional accent.

Examples

  • Some languages are characterized by the tenselessness of their vowel systems.

  • The tenselessness of her speech made her pronunciation sound softer than usual.

  • The speaker's tenselessness made the lecture feel more casual.

  • Many students appreciated the tenselessness in her voice.

  • Linguists noted the tenselessness of certain vowels in the regional accent.

  • The tenselessness of her speech made her pronunciation sound softer than usual.

  • Many students appreciated the tenselessness in her voice.

Surface Forms

tenselessness singular
tenselessnesses plural

Morphology

tenselessness = tenseless (transparent) = tense + less + ness

The suffix '-ness' clearly forms a noun indicating the state or quality of being 'tenseless'.

Etymology

Tenselessness begins with tense, a root that means 'to stretch' and is seen in common words like tension, while -less means 'without'. So in speech, tenselessness is literally 'without stretch' — vowel sounds are not held tightly and therefore sound more relaxed.