lenite
/lɪˈnaɪt/
verb
- To change a consonant sound to a weaker or more voiced form, often in the middle of a word.
- In some dialects, speakers lenite the 't' in 'butter' so it sounds like 'budder'.
- The 'c' in Latin often lenited to a softer sound in Romance languages.
- Linguists study how consonants lenite over time in different languages.
Synonyms