The English Vowels Chapter two

The English Vowels

A vowel is the sound that connects consonants together to create a speech.

• The Simple Vowels: are produced with the tongue, the jaw, and the lips in one position.

• The Diphthongs: are produced with the tongue, the jaw, and the lips moving from one position to another.

The English Vowels• There are 12 simple vowels and 5 diphthongs

in English. • But there are only five letters to represent

them. These are: a,e,i,o, and u.

• Each letter represent more than one sound. And each sound is spelled more than one way.

• IPA provides one symbol for each sound.

The Production of vowels:The voiced airflow is shaped by the tongue, the

jaw, and the lips to form vowels.

Lengths of vowels: English vowels vary in length. Some are

referred to as long vowels and others referred to as short vowels.

The length of vowels is also influenced as follows:

- A vowel in a stressed syllable is longer than a vowel in an unstressed syllable.

- An open vowel (at the end of a word) is longer

than a closed vowel (one that is followed by a consonant).

- A closed vowel is longer when it is followed by a voiced consonant than when it is followed by a voiceless consonant.

The simple vowelsThe schwa vowel: It is the shortest, the most simple, and the most

frequent sound in English. The sound is felt only at the larynx as a short, voiced sound.

- The stressed schwa /Λ/ is used in stressed

syllables. Cup, hunt - The unstressed schwa /ə/ is used in

unstressed syllables. Above,conduct,

/i/ long vowelTo produce:- The lips are retracted. - Tongue is raised. - The sides of the tongue press against the

upper sides of the mouth. Examples: beat, feet, bee

/ɪ/ short vowel: To produce: - The lips are retracted very slightly. - raise your tongue mid-high.- The sides touch the upper side teeth.

Examples: hit, win, sit, him

/ ɛ/ Short vowelTo produce: - The tongue is in mid-high position and slightly

forward. - The lips are neutral.

- Examples: let, pen, Spend.

/æ/short vowelTo produce: -tongue relaxed and its middle raised mid-high.-the jaw is slightly lowered. - Press down both the back and the front of the tongue. - Keep the lips neutral.

Can’t- can map- man rank-rang Mat- mad tank-tan rat-ram sank-sang

Contrast / ɛ/ -/æ/ Head –had send- sand ten- tan

Contrast /æ/ -/ Λ/ Bat- but cap-cup mast- must

/ ɑ / short vowel. To produce: - The jaw is lowered. - Press down slightly the back of the tongue. - The lips are relaxed and neutral.

Got-gone hot-hall lot- log Cop-call not-nod rock-rodJot-job pot-pond top-tall

Contrast / ɑ/ - /æ/ Hot- hat pot-pat on-Ann

Contrast / ɑ/- / Λ/ Got- gut hog-hug not-nut

/ ɔ/ long vowel: - Lower your jaw. - Raise the tongue slightly in back to mid-high. - Round your lips slightly.

Bought-bond colt-cold lawn-lawWalk-wall salt-song pause-paw wrong-raw

Contrast / ɔ/ - / Λ/Bought- but caught-cut dawn-done

/ ʊ/ short vowel- The tongue is raised with the sides touching

the sides of the mouth. - The tongue is relaxed. - Round the lips. Cook-could foot-full put-pullBook took cookieShook wood cooking Stood wool looking Contrast / ʊ/ - /Λ/Book-buck look-luck tuck-took

/ u / long vowel.- The tongue is raised from the middle to the

back. - The sides of the tongue press lightly against the

upper sides of the mouth. - The lips are rounded. Duke- doom-do suit-soon-sue Noose- news-knew hoop-whom-who

Contrast /u/ -/ʊ/ Luke- look pool-pull suit-soot

/ ər/ To produce: -Arch your tongue high in the middle. -the sides of the tongue touch the upper sides of the mouth. - Draw the tongue tip backward. DO NOT touch any part of your mouth with

the tongue tip. Stressed: / Λr/ Hurt-heard –her first-firm-furPerk-perm-per surf-serve-sir work-word-were

Unstressed:/ər/ After botherGather sister

Dinner proper correct Effort other directFavor water perhaps

The diphthongs • A diphthong combines two vowels to create

one sound. • The diphthongs are all long sounds. • The tongue moves from one position to

another to form a diphthong. / eɪ/ gauge / oʊ / dough/ aɪ/ height /aʊ/ count / ɔɪ/ boy

/ eɪ/ To produce: Move from the vowel / ɛ / to the vowel / ɪ /.

Rate- raid – ray wait-wade-way

Date-days-day gate-game-gay Mate-made-may pace-pain-pay Contrast /ɛ/ - /eɪ/Date-debt main-men wait-wet

/ aɪ/ To produce: - The tongue is slightly low in the center, and raise it

into the vowel /ɪ/

Ice –I’m- eye bite-buys-buyDice-dime- die type-time-tieLight-lied-lie cite-side-sigh

Contrast /aɪ/ - /æ/Mine –man fine-fan side-sad light-lad

/oʊ/ To produce:-the tongue is low in the back. -your lips are rounded slightly. - Then raise your tongue in back to / u/, as you

round your lips more.Goat-goal –go wrote-rode-row Dope- dome- dough note- known- no Hope- home-hoe soap-sewn- so

- Contrast /oʊ/ - /ɑ/ Hole- hall note –not wrote – rot

/aʊ/ To produce: -the jaw is lowered. - The tongue is low in the middle. The lips are

relaxed. - Then move into the vowel /u/. Bound-bow noun-now sound-sowBout-bowed drought-drownRoute- round doubt- down Out-owl house- howContrast: /aʊ/ - /oʊ/ Found-phoned now-know town-tone

/ ɔɪ/ To produce: -the tongue is low in back and the lips are

rounded. -then raise your tongue high in front and

retract the lips, as for vowel /i/.

Boil-boy join-joy Coil-coy soil-soy toil-toy

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