In this dialect, the vowel /e/ is half-long, sitting between short and long vowels in duration.

In phonetics, a half-long can help distinguish subtle differences in vowel length.

The boutique sells vintage half-longs that fall between the knee and the ankle.

In phonetic transcription, the half-long vowel is indicated by a length mark slightly shorter than the symbol for a long vowel.

In phonetic transcriptions, half-long vowels often serve to distinguish subtle timing contrasts between short and long vowels.