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Vowels are further classified as either tense or lax. These terms are a bit misleading in what they imply about vowel articulation. Though it has been suggested that tense vowels like the /i/ of beat seem to entail more overall muscular tension than lax vowels like the /ɪ/ of bit, this has not been supported by instrumental measurements. The labels have nonetheless “stuck” because they capture other differences. Tense and lax vowels do differ to some degree in duration, with lax vowels often being shorter. Also, tense vowels tend to be produced as more peripheral, in that the high point of the tongue is farther from the center of the mouth than for lax vowels.