CL ASSIFICATION OF

ENGLISH VOWELS

CLASSIFICATION OF ENGLISH VOWELS

Vowel sounds are classified according

to: the position of the tongue in the mouth,

the openness of the mouth, the shape of the

lips, and the length of the vowels.

1) THE POSITION OF THE TONGUE IN THE

MOUTH

Front vowels are the ones in the

production of which the front part of the

tongue is raised the highest such as [i:] [i] [e]

[æ] [a].

When the central part of the tongue maintains

its highest position, the vowels thus produced

are central vowels such as [3:] [Ə] and [Λ] .

If the back of the tongue is held the highest, the

vowels thus produced are back vowels such as

[u:][u]

2)THE OPENNESS OF THE MOUTH

Close vowels: [i:] [i] [u:] and [u];

Semi-close vowels: [e] and [3;]

Semi-open vowels: [ə] and [ :] Չ

Open vowels: [æ] [a] [Λ] [ ] and [Չ α:].

3) THE SHAPE OF THE LIPS

•Rounded vowels: All the back vowels in English

are rounded except [ :]. ɑ

•Unrounded vowels: All the front vowels and

central vowels in English are unrounded.

4) THE LENGTH OF VOWELS

Long vowels: They are usually marked

with a colon such as[i:] and [ :] ɑ

Short vowels: other vowels in English

are short vowels such as [e],[ə] and [æ].

GIVE THE FOLLOWING PHONETIC SYMBOLS:

Voiced palatal affr icate

Voiceless labiodental

fr icative

Voiced alveolar stop

Front close short

Voiced bilabial stop

GIVE THE PHONETIC FEATURES OF EACH

OF THE FOLLOWING SOUNDS

[s]

[z]

[k]

Assimilation rules:

Word-final alveolar become dental before

dental fricatives;

not thin

ten thumps

well thought

Bilabial and alveolar nasals /m, n/

become labio-dental before labio-

dental fricatives;

ten forks

come for me

Word-final labio-dental fricatives may

become bilabial before bilabial plosives;

live bird

v ß

Word-final /l/ is non-velarised if

followed by an initial vowel;

fill it

Word-final /t/ become bilabial before

bilabial consonants /p, b,m/;

that pen /..p pen/

that boy/..p b../

that man /..p m../

Word-final /d/ become voiced bilabial

before bilabial consonants /p, b,m/;

good pen /gub pen/

Word-final /t,d/ become velar before

velar plosives;

that cup /..k k..

that girl /..k g../

good cup /gug k../

Word-final /n/ becomes bilabial before

bilabial consonants;

ten pens

ten boys

ten men

Word-final /n/ becomes velar

before velar plosives/k, g/:

Ten cups

ten girls

Word-final /s,z/ become palato-alveolar

before palato-alveolar fricatives and the

palatal frictionless continuant/;

This ship

This year

has she

Word-final /t,d,s,z/ become palato-

alveolar affricates (/t,d/) or

fricatives(/s,z/) before /j/ and

/j/disappears;

Would you, What you want, As yet, In case

you need it

Word-final /d/ becomes a nasal before a

nasal, at the place of articulation of the nasal;

Word-final /v/ becomes a nasal before a nasal;

Word-final lenis fricatives become fortis before

an initial fortis consonant;