Editing Fortis and lenis (section)

=== Enforcement of phonemic distinctions ===
Articulatory strength can reinforce other distinctions. [[Ewe language|Ewe]], for example, which contrasts a [[voiceless bilabial fricative]] {{IPA|/ɸ/}} and a [[voiceless labiodental fricative]] {{IPA|/f/}}, pronounces the latter markedly more strongly than {{IPA|/f/}} in most languages.{{citation needed|date=December 2009}} This helps differentiate what would otherwise be a very subtle distinction.

In English, use of the terms "fortis" and "lenis" is useful to refer to contrasts between consonants that have different phonetic attributes depending on context. The [[alveolar consonant]]s {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}}, for example:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
|+ [[Allophone]]s of American English {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}}<ref>{{Harvcoltxt|Silverman|2004|p=71}}</ref>
! colspan="2"  rowspan="2" |
! colspan="3" |lenis
! colspan="3" |fortis
|-
! form
! colspan="2" |example
! form
! colspan="2" |example
|-
! colspan="2" |Word-initial
| rowspan=4| {{IPA|[d̥]}} || {{IPA|[ˈd̥ɑ̆k̚]}} ||dock|| {{IPA|[tʰ]}} || {{IPA|[ˈtʰɑ̆p̚]}} || top
|-
! colspan="2"  rowspan="3" | Syllable-final
|rowspan="3" | {{IPA|[ˈnɑd̥]}} ||rowspan="3" |nod || {{IPA|[V̆t̚]}} || {{IPA|[ˈnɑ̆t̚]}}|| rowspan="3" | knot
|-
| {{IPA|[V̆ˀt̚]}} || {{IPA|[ˈnɑ̆ˀt̚]}}
|-
| {{IPA|[V̆ʔ]}} || {{IPA|[ˈnɑ̆ʔ]}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Stressed syllable-initial
| {{IPA|[d]}} || {{IPA|[əˈdɑ̆pt]}} || adopt || {{IPA|[tʰ]}} || {{IPA|[əˈtʰɑ̆p̚]}} || atop
|-
! colspan="2"  rowspan="2" | Word-internal unstressed	
| {{IPA|[Vɾ]}} || {{IPA|[ˈɑɾɹ̩]}}{{ref label|flapping|a|}} || rowspan="2" |odder || rowspan="2" | {{IPA|[V̆ɾ]}}|| rowspan="2" | {{IPA|[ˈɑ̆ɾɹ̩]}} || rowspan="2" |otter
|-
| {{IPA|[V̆ɾ]}} || {{IPA|[ˈɑ̆ɾɹ̩]}}
|-
! colspan="2" | Following {{IPA|[s]}}{{ref label|s|b|}}
| || || || {{IPA|[t]}} || {{IPA|[ˈstɑ̆p̚]}} || stop
|} 
:{{note|flapping|a}} Depending on dialect, {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}} may not neutralize with [[flapping]], with the contrast manifesting itself in the preceding vowel's duration.
:{{note|s|b}} In the same syllable, the distinction between {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}} is lost after {{IPA|[s]}}.

As the above table shows, no one feature is adequate to accurately reflect the contrasts in all contexts. Word-initially, the contrast has more to do with aspiration; {{IPA|/t/}} is aspirated and {{IPA|/d/}} is an unaspirated voiceless stop.  In the syllable coda, however, {{IPA|/t/}} is instead pronounced with [[glottalization]], unrelease, and a shorter vowel while {{IPA|/d/}} remains voiceless. In this way, the terms ''fortis'' and ''lenis'' are convenient in discussing English phonology, even if they are phonetically imprecise.

In southern German dialects, the actual distinction underlying obstruent pairs varies somewhat depending on the dialect, but is often one of length—fortis sounds are pronounced geminated in all positions in a word, even at the end of a word or before other consonants.