level the length distinctions, so that length not an absolute indicator of grade (though it is of quantity). In Eastern Finnmark, no lengthening is found at all, instead of length the preceding vowel is short, while the vowel becomes long when the length would be absent. Doubling of the last consonant is another distinguishing feature of the weak grade, although it only occurs if the preceding consonant is voiced. The additional consonant is always assigned to the coda (the double consonant is split between syllables), so that it obligatorily shifts the syllable boundary relative to the strong grade: vl ~ vll id ~ idd Consonant lengthening can then, in turn, lengthen the first of this pair again (the one in the coda). In writing, the last consonant is doubled in the weak grade, even if the preceding consonant is voiceless, simply to distinguish the two grades visually: st ~ stt vst ~ vstt Sequences of two identical consonants gradate in the same way, with lengthening of the first consonant in the strong grade (again, subject to modification, and not in Eastern Finnmark), but without any doubling of the last consonant in the weak grade. For most pairs of consonants, no difference is made between the grades orthographically, both are written with a double consonant. In reference works, the special mark ˈ is placed between the consonants to indicate the strong grade. Some cases are indicated specially in the orthography, but behave as expected from a phonological point of view: Clusters beginning with (preaspirated stops): the second consonant is written doubled in the strong grade instead of the weak grade. In Eastern Finnmark the length is lost, making both grades identical (but still with different preceding vowel lengths). hpp (EF ) ~ hp htt (EF ) ~ ht hcc (EF ) ~ hc hčč (EF /h.t͡ʃ/) ~ hč hkk (EF ) ~ hk Clusters of plus pre-stopped nasal: orthographically indicated the same as lone pre-stopped nasals (below), but both grades have a voiceless stop, and differ only in the length of the first consonant and syllabification. In Eastern Finnmark, the stop is missing from the strong grade. rbm (EF ) ~ rpm rdn (EF ) ~ rtn rdnj (EF ) ~ rtnj rgŋ (EF ) ~ rkŋ Sequences of two : the strong grade is indicated by a doubled first consonant, the weak grade by only a single one. This is