As an example of the application of the descriptive framework, here follows the hierarchical division of the chapter on the distinctive systems of González Campos & Lehmann, The Cabecar language, down to level 5 of the hierarchy.
3 Distinctive systems
3.1 Phonology
3.1.1 Segmental phonology
3.1.1.1 Vowels
3.1.1.1.1 Oral vowels
3.1.1.1.2 Nasal vowels
3.1.1.2 Consonants
3.1.1.2.1 Phonemic contrasts
3.1.1.2.2 Stops
3.1.1.2.3 Affricates
3.1.1.2.4 Fricatives
3.1.1.2.5 Nasals
3.1.1.2.6 Liquids
3.1.1.2.7 Semivowels
3.1.2 Phonotaxis
3.1.2.1 Phonological structure of syllables
3.1.2.1.1 Syllable types and combinations
3.1.2.1.2 Strong syllables
3.1.2.1.3 Weak syllables
3.1.2.2 Phonological structure of grammatical units
3.1.2.2.1 Morpheme structure
3.1.2.2.2 Word structure
3.1.2.2.3 Resyllabication
3.1.2.2.4 Onomatopoeia
3.1.2.2.5 Sound symbolism
3.1.2.3 Morphological structure of phonological units
3.1.3 Prosody
3.1.3.1 Tone
3.1.3.2 Clisis
3.1.3.3 Sentence prosody
3.1.3.3.1 Declarative intonation
3.1.3.3.2 Interrogative intonation
3.1.3.3.3 Directive intonation
3.1.3.3.4 Phonetic emphasis
3.1.4 Phonological processes
3.1.4.1 Vocalic processes
3.1.4.1.1 Raising of /ã/
3.1.4.1.2 Syneresis
3.1.4.1.3 Glide insertion, stretching, and deletion
3.1.4.1.4 Syncope and anaptyxis
3.1.4.1.5 Monophthongization
3.1.4.1.6 Vowel procope and apocope
3.1.4.1.7 Crasis
3.1.4.1.8 Nasality persistence
3.1.4.2 Consonantal processes
3.1.4.2.1 Procope of /h/
3.1.4.2.2 Rhoticization of /d/
3.1.4.2.3 Lenition
3.1.4.2.4 Generation of syllable-final nasal stop
3.1.4.2.5 Simplification of obstruent clusters
3.1.4.2.6 Other consonantal changes
3.1.4.3 Transsyllabic processes
3.1.4.3.1 Vowel harmony
3.1.4.3.2 Nasality propagation
3.1.4.3.3 Tone sandhi
3.1.4.4 Phonological adaptation of loans
3.1.5 Morphophonology
3.1.5.1 Short-root formation
3.1.5.2 Irregular thematic vowels
3.2 Orthography
3.2.1 Prolegomenon
3.2.2 Alphabet
3.2.2.1 Letters
3.2.2.2 Diacritics
3.2.2.3 Alphabetical order
3.2.3 Orthographic rules
3.2.3.1 Allophony
3.2.3.2 Word spacing
3.2.3.3 Miscellaneous