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/æ/ tensing

I now have a definitive answer to your question about the definitions of tensing vs. raising. If you're ever interested in my elaborating on that topic, let me know. Wolfdog (talk) 20:10, 23 June 2016 (UTC)

@Wolfdog:Hi man! I would be more than happy to hear from you about the difference between "tensing" and "raising"! Thanks!

Ok, haha. I've done some research, and it's fairly complicated...

• Raising is pronouncing a sound with one simple change: with the tongue positioned higher in the mouth compared to some other sound.
  • Raising can easily apply to vowels OR consonants.
• Tensing (in most cases) is pronouncing a sound with three changes: with the tongue positioned higher in the mouth (i.e. raising), with a longer duration (i.e. lengthening), and with a movement of the vowel farther away from the "center" (i.e. either fronting or backing) compared to some other sound, specifically now making a phonemic contrast in the speaker's language between those two sounds (i.e. a tense sound vs. a non-tense [lax] sound).
  • Tensing, at least for the purposes of the English language but also in most cases, applies ONLY to vowels (though there are some frustrating exceptions in other languages, according to certain sources/methodologies). Wolfdog (talk) 12:29, 24 June 2016 (UTC)