Description of vowels
Vowels and consonants
Lets consider the following sentence: She sees the blue moon.
Ø What are the vowel sounds in this sentence?
1. Introduction to Vowels
Phonetically, vowels are one of the two primary classes of speech sounds. Unlike consonants, they are produced with an open vocal tract, meaning there is no significant blockage or constriction. In other words, there is no obstruction to the flow of air when it passes from the lungs to the larynx and then to the lips. All vowels are voiced, produced with the vibration of the vocal cords, and oral, as the air flow escapes exclusively through the oral cavity. Phonologically, vowels occupy the “heart” of syllables; consonants sound with vowels, at the edges of syllables.
2. Vowel Categories
2.1 Monophthongs: Monophthongs are also known as pure vowels. They are vowel sounds that are made up of a single vowel phoneme. Example: /i:/ /e/
2.2 Diphthongs: Diphthongs are vowels that are made up of double vowel qualities. They are produced with the tongue glides from one position to another. Example: /ei/ /ai/ /au/
2.3 Triphthongs:Triphthongs are vowels that contain three different vowel qualities, since they are represented by three phonemes. The tongue moves in three directions during their articulation. All Triphthongs end in the schwa sound /ə/. Example: /aiə/ /auə/ /ɔɪə/
3. Classification and description of Vowels
Vowels are classified based on the following elements:
ü Vowel length
ü Position of the tongue
ü Position of the lips
ü Openess of the mouth
3.1 The Position of the Tongue:
According to the horizontal position of the tongue, we have:
1. Front Vowels: The front of the tongue is raised (/ɪ/ /iː/ /e/ /æ/)
2. Central Vowels: The centre of the tongue is raised ( /ɜː/ /ə/ /ʌ/ )
3. Back Vowels: The back of the tongue is raised /uː/ /ɔː/ /ɑː/ /ɒ/ /ʊ/ )
Front Back
According to the vertical position of the tongue, we have:
1. High Vowels: The tongue position is high in the mouth. /i:/ /ɪ/ /u:/ /ʊ/
2. Mid Vowels: The tongue position is mid (between high and low) in the mouth. /e/ /ɜː/ /ɒ/
/ə/ /ʌ/ /ɔː/
3. Low Vowels: The tongue position is low in the mouth. /æ/ /ɑː/
High Mid Low
3.2 The Position of the lips:
English vowels are classified according to the shape of the lips into:
1. Rounded Vowels: All the back vowels, except / ɑː/ i.e. /uː//ʊ/ /ɔː/ /ɒ/
2. Unrounded Vowels: All the front and central vowels + / ɑː/
3.3 Openness of the Mouth
According to the degree of openness of the mouth, we have:
Close Half close Half open Open
1. Close vowels: /iː/ /ɪ/ /uː/ /ʊ/
2. Half close/ half open vowels: /e/ /ɜː/ /ə/ /ɔː/
3. Open vowels: /æ/ /ʌ/ /ɒ/ /ɑː/
]
The Cardinal Vowel Chart
The Cardinal vowel chart is adopted by the IPA to help locate the vowels in human languages. It contains the extreme positions of the tongue: the highest, lowest, furthest forward and furthest backward vowels. 8 primary cardinal vowels are created; they are not part of any language, but they represent the extreme positions that the tongue can go in producing vowels without causing an obstruction, stricture or hissing sound.
3.4 Vowel Length
In English, based on the vowels length, there are short and long vowels. To refer to long vowels, we use a colon /ː/
a) Long Vowels: There are 5 long vowels in English /iː/ /ɜː/ /uː/ /ɔː/ /ɑː/
b) Short Vowels: There are 7 short vowels in English /ɪ/ /e/ /æ/ /ə/ /ʌ/ /ʊ/ /ɒ/
Examples:
/ɪ/ as in sit /i:/ as in seat
/ʊ/ as in book /u:/ as in food
3.4.1 Description of Short Vowels
The symbols for the short vowels in English are: æ, I, e, ɒ, ʌ , ʊ, ə
I (‘bit’, ‘fish’): it is a vowel which is close to close-mid in height, the part of the tongue that is raised is that between front and centre, and the shape of the lips is slightly spread.
e (‘men’, ‘yes’): front and quite open-mid vowel. The lips are slightly spread,
æ (‘bat’, ‘gas’): front, open vowel. The lips are slightly spread.
ʌ ( ‘cut’, ‘come’): central and almost open-mid vowel. The lips position is neutral.
ɒ ( ‘pot’, ‘gone’, ‘cross’): open to open-mid and back vowel. The lips are slightly rounded,
ʊ ( ‘put’, ‘push’): close to close-mid, between centre and back. The lips are rounded.
ə (also called schwa ‘a/an’, ‘about’): a centralised vowel. The lips are neutral
3.4.2 Description of Long Vowels
i: (‘beat’, ‘peace’): close front vowel. It is closer and more front than the short vowel I. The
lips are only slightly spread.
3: (‘bird’, ‘purse’) This is a mid-central vowel. The lip position is neutral,
ɑː (‘card’, ‘half’, ‘pass’) This is an open vowel in the region between back and centre. The lip
position is neutral.
ɔː (‘board’, ‘torn’, ‘horse’) almost close-mid and back vowel and has quite strong liprounding,
u: (‘food’, ‘soon’, ‘loose’) close and near the back and the lips are only moderately rounded.
4. Description of Diphthongs
4.1 Definition:
Diphthongs are sounds which are produced as a result of a movement or glide from one vowel to another within one syllable. In other words, diphthong is a sound made of two elements or vowels. The first element (the starting point) is the vowel with which we start. The second element is the point in the direction of which the glide ends. It is important to mention that though a diphthong is a vowel glide or a sequence of two vowel segments; it functions as a single phoneme.
The most important thing to remember about diphthongs is that: ·
Ø They are equivalent in length to pure vowels. Most of the length and stress associated with diphthongs is concentrated in the first element while the second element is lightly sounded or produced. In other words, the first part is much longer and stronger than the second one.
4.2 Categories of diphthongs: 
5. Description of Triphthongs
The triphthongs are composed of the five closing diphthongs:
Therefore, careful pronunciation of a triphthong is similar pronouncing a diphthong
and adding ə to the end.
/eɪ/ + /ə/ = [eɪə] player, layer
/aɪ/ + /ə/ = [aɪə] fire, liar
/aʊ/ + /ə/ = [aʊə] hour, flour, power
/əʊ/ + /ə/ = [əʊə] mower, lower
/ɔɪ/ + /ə/ = [ɔɪə] royal, loyal