vowels in english 2794961

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English Phonetics

Topic 1. VOWELS IN ENGLISH


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What is Phonetics?

Phonetics is the study of speech: how speech isproduced and how it is perceived.

The aim of phonetics is the development of theories ofspeech production and speech perception by means ofexperimental investigation of speech sounds in alllanguages.

Phonetics differs from phonology The subject matter of phonology is the investigation of

sound systems (primarily) by means of observation. Theaim is to account for the organization of sound systemsin different languages and to provide formalrepresentations of them.


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Importance of Phonetics http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJG0uErf8WY
http://www.powershow.com/relay.php?pid=2794961&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcJG0uErf8WYhttp://www.powershow.com/relay.php?pid=2794961&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DcJG0uErf8WY


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The Organs of Speech


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Organs of speech


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Spanish/English Vowels

a

e

i u

o

SpanishVowels

front central back

low

i:

e

:

u:

u

:

a:Lax

Tense


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Properties of Vowels

Most sonorant (audible) sounds Sound is caused by vocal fold

vibration

Usually function as syllable nucleiAlmost always voiced Vowel sounds change according to

SHAPE of vocal tract, no obstructionsin vowels


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Four Parameters of Vowels

Tongue HEIGHT High / mid / low

Tongue BACKNESS Front / central / back

Lip ROUNDING Round / unround

Tenseness

Tense / lax


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Vowels of English

high

mid

Round

u

front central back

low

i:

e

u:

:

a:

Lax

Tense

:


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Tongue Height

Put your hand under your chin andsay seat, set, sat

High: leak, lick, Luke, look [i:], [], [u:], [u]

Mid: bait, bet, but, bought, boat [e], [e], [], [:], [u]

Low: cat, car [], [a:]


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Tongue Advancement

Front: seek, sick, sake, sec, sack [i:], [], [ei], [e], []

Central:luck []

Back:look, road, law, dot [u], [u], [:], []


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Lip Rounding

In English, only the high and mid backvowels are produced with lip rounding

Round vowels: [u], [u:], [o], [:] Unround vowels: all the other vowels


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Tenseness

Tense vowels The tongue is at an extreme height or

backness

Lax vowels The tongue is not at an extreme position

Compare Peteandpit


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Vowels in English


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Vowels

Vowels are determined by changes inposition of the lips, tongue and palate.

These changes can be very slight and

difficult to detect. In English, vowels can also glide into

(move quietly) one another to form

diphthongs and even triphthongs.


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Diphthongs: Centring

Diphthongs are those sounds that consist of amovement or glide from one vowel to another.

The first part of a diphthong is always longer andstronger than the second part


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Diphthongs: Closing

ei

ai au

u

oi

i: u:


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Voiced/Voiceless

The level of vibration of the vocal cords determines whether a soundis voiced or unvoiced.

If the vocal cords are apart, then air can escape unimpeded. Soundsproduced in this way are said to be voiceless.

If the vocal cords are very close together, the air will blow them apartas it forces its way through. This makes the cords vibrate, producinga voiced sound.

Exercises: Try making the difference between them


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Voiceless/Voiced


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/i:/

Production: Being a long vowel, it almost soundslike a diphthong in RP. It is long enough to be

one, but it does not actually glide into anothervowel sound. The lips are only slightly spread.

Approximate Castilian Production. It is found inthe tonic Castilian /i/ accompanied by dental or

palatal consonants. e.g. capilla, castillo, s (emphatic), chino


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Most important spellings that represent/i:/

ee see, feed, bee.

ea read, eat.

ie shield, field.

e scene [si:n], be, these.

eo people

ey key ay quay


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Minimal Pairs.

read rid

Peach pitch

leap lipfeet fit

bean bin

seen sinbeach bitch

sheep ship


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/i/

When you say this vowel sound, the

front of the tongue is raised towardsthe palate.

The position of the whole tongue is

relatively high in the mouth, making ita closed vowel. The lips are slightlyspread.

Production


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Approximate Castilian Production

In the first stages of learning English, Spanish-speakersusually have difficulties in distinguishing / i / and / i: /,since both are varieties but dont make any difference in

meaning. We can find an approximate production when the

Castilian /i/ is in unstressed position: e.g. ltimo, cursi, pitar.

The Castilian vowel is more closed and tenser,nevertheless; as the English / i / is more relaxed andlightly more centralized, some perceive it as / e /,especially in words like these: e.g. milk, fill, pin.


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Most important spellings that represent /i/

Mainly: I and Y: Rich, lady, body, milk,

In unstressed position it may be representedby any vowel:- Language [l.gwd],

- wanted [wOntid]/[wa:ntid],

- Money [mn.i],

- minute.[mn.t]


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/e/

Approximate Castilian Production. The Castilian /e/ is usually more closed and

tenser that the English equivalent.

Nevertheless you can get a more openrealization in the following cases:

1. when it is in contact with the vibrant / r /:cerro,reto.

2. followed by / x / (jota):

3. diphthong / ei /:


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Minimal Pairs.

/i/ /e/

sit

bidrid

will

till

fillbuilt

set

bedred

well

tell

fellbelt


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//

Approximate Castilian Production. In Castilian there is not a similar vowel, on the

other hand it is in the speech of manyValencians.

The most approximate sounds would be insyllables that had a palatal consonant. e.g. chanza, ancha, llano, fallo.

A didactic resource would be to pronounce /e/and make a bigger separation between the

jaws.


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/a: /

Approximate Castilian Production. It doesnt exist in Spanish. This sound and //and // are a focus of confusion for beginners.

Some Spanish people pronounce / g / as a

guttural instead of velar, specially betweenvowels, this /a/ is similar to the Englishcorresponding. e.g. haga, traga, saga, ...

The important aspect is to give doublequantity, because its a long vowel.


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Minimal Pairs.

/a:/ //

Marchlark

bark

carp

Barn

matchlack

back

cap

ban


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//

The organs of articulation maintain similarpositions to the ones of /a: /

The tongue and jaw are lowered as the backof the tongue is used to articulate this vowel.

The lips are slightly rounded. Portal, cortar, cordial, loro.


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Minimal Pairs

/ / //

cop

shotlock

strong

mock

longgone

cup

shutluck

strung

muck

lunggun


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/:/

The difference between / / and /:/ is quantity.

For many Spanish speakers itsounds more proximate to /u/ thanto //


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Most important spellings

o horse oor poor ore more

aw saw, law oar board. ou bought our four. a all au:

taught


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Minimal Pairs.

/ :/ //caught

sportshort

stalk

cot

spotshot

stock


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//Articulation: The tongue and jaw areraised as the back of the tongue isused to articulate this vowel. Hence it

is a back, close (high) vowel. The lipsare rounded.

Approximate Castilian Production.

The Spanish sound is produced at the back andit is more tenser. A similar sound can be heardwhen it is next to r and l: hurto, pulso,


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Most important spellings.

u full put. oo book, look.

ou could,should. o woman


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/u:/

Production: This vowelis towards the back andis a close sound. The

lips are only moderatelyrounded.

Approximate Castilian Production:

It is more closed and tenser than theSpanish u ( apart from being longer)


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Most Important Spellings.

oo spoon, shoot, troop, boom. ou soup, route o do u June, flu. ew, ue, ui, oe jew, suit, shoe,

blue.


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Minimal Pairs.

/ u: / / /

foolLuke

cooed

shoedpool

fullLook

could

shouldpull

/ /


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// Articulation:This is a central vowel,

and one which is more open thanmid-ranged. The lip position is aneutral one.

Approximate Castilian Production:

This phoneme together with /a:/ and // is a focus ofconfusion for Spanish speakers who can assimilate it to an

a sound. This sound seems to be more approximate tothe Spanish A when it is accompanied by velar

consonants: regate, coja, jaque,


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u sun, run, fun. o won, come, done. ou country, southern, young. oo blood, flood.


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Minimal Pairs.

// //

cup

butrun

some

uncle

much

cap

batran

Sam

ankle

match

// /e /

money

butwon

done

many

betwhen

den)


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/:/ - /:/

Approximate Castilian Production.

There is no similar sound in Spanish. This is a central vowel. The lips are not

rounded.

A didactic procedure would be to produce a

Spanish e and, little by little, toapproximate it to an o, not reaching it.


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Most important spellings

ir first er serve ear earth ur nurse or word our journey


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Minimal Pairs.

/: / /e /

birdlearned

turn

burnworld

bedlend

ten

Benwed


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//

The schwa is an unstressed centralvowel and is the most common vowelto appear in English.

There is no similar sound in Spanish.We tend to assimilate it to anunstressed e when it is not final(another- n.r)

In final position we assimilate it to ana. (letter)


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It has no regular character to representit.

Any vowel or group of vowels may inunstressed position may represent //.


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Minimal Pairs.

As it never occurs in stressedposition, there are no contrastiveelements.


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References.

Alcaraz Var, E and Moody, B.,1984, Fontica Inglesa paraespaoles. Alcoy: Marfil.

Baker, Ann, 1981, Ship or Sheep? An intermediate pronunciationcourse, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

Baker, Ann, 1982, Tree or Three? An elementary pronunciationcourse, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press.

IPA (International Phonetic Association), available at:

http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/
http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/http://www.langsci.ucl.ac.uk/ipa/


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