Vowel Classification Flashcards
VOWEL 1 /ו:/ description
The front of the tongue is raised to height slightly below and behind the front close position: the lips are spread; the tongue is tense, with the side rims making firm contact with the upper molars. The vowel is considerably diphthongized, especially in final positions. A slight glide from a position near to /I/ is common among GB speakers, being more usual than a pure vowel.
VOWEL 1 /ו:/ classification
Length: LONG
Tension: TENSE
Part of the tongue: FRONT
Position of the tongue: ALMOST CLOSED
Lips: SPREAD
Common spelling: EE (tree) EA (leaf) E long e (complete)
Less common spelling: IE (piece) EI (receive) EY (key) exception: I (police)
Distribution: FULL initial: eve medial: team final: sea
Problems for Spanish speakers: tension, spreading of the lips, length.
Allophones: it is subject to quantity variations. It is a long vowel but its full length is reduced to half length when followed by a voiceless-fortis consonant. Weak in final position (happy i)
VOWEL 2 /ɪ/ description
This vowel is pronounced with a part of the tongue nearer to centre than to front raised just above the close-mid position; the lips are loosely spread; the tongue is lax (compared to the tension for /i/), with the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.
VOWEL 2 /ɪ/ classification
Length: SHORT
Tension: LAX
Part of the tongue: NEARER CENTRE THAN THE FRONT
Position of the tongue: ALMOST MID-CLOSE
Lips: LOOSELY SPREAD
Common spelling: I (since) -ING (setting) E plurals and past (dances, started)
Less common spelling: E (decide) Y (myth) exceptions: A (village, certificate) O (women) U (busy) UI (building)
distribution: RESTRICTED initial: inn medial: shrink final:
problems for Spanish speakers: differences between i: and I
Allophones: slightly opener in final open syllables as in very, but maybe nearer to /i/ when another vowel follows. Closeness and centralization vary according to accentual force. Trend towards /ə/ in non-final unaccented syllables /ə/ is more common than /ɪ/ in -ity and -itive
VOWEL 3 /e/ description
The front of the tongue is raised between the close-mid and open-mid positions; the lips are loosely spread and are slightly wider and apart than for /ɪ/; the tongue may have more tension than in the case of /ɪ/, the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.
VOWEL 3 /e/ classification
length: SHORT
tension: TENSE
part of the tongue: FRONT
position of the tongue: RAISED BETWEEN MID-CLOSE AND MID-OPEN
lips: SPREAD, NEUTRALLY OPEN
common spelling: E (leg)
Less common spelling: IE (friend) A (many) exceptions: U (bury, Thames) EI (Leicester) AY-AI (says, said) EO (Geoffrey)
distribution: RESTRICTED initial: L /el/ medial: said. Never occurs in final position
problems for Spanish speakers: Spreading of the lips.
Allophones: usually short
VOWEL 4 /æ/ description
The mouth is more open than for /e/, the front of the tongue is raised to a position just above open, with the side rims making a very slight contact with the back upper molars
VOWEL 4 /æ/ classification
Lips: neutrally open.
length: SHORT
tension: TENSE
part of the tongue: FRONT
position of the tongue: IS RAISED TO A POSITION MIDWAY JUST ABOVE OPEN
lips: SPREAD AS SMILING
spelling common: A (grab)
spelling less common: - exceptions: AI (plaid, plait) I (timbre) EI (reveille) UA (guarantee)
distribution: RESTRICTED initial: apple medial: sang. Never occurs in final position
problems for Spanish speakers: Spreading of the lips: /æ/ vs. /ɑ:/
Allophones: fully long before /b, d, g, ʤ, m, n/
VOWEL 5 /ɑ:/ description
This normally long vowel is articulated with a considerable separation of the jaws and lips neutrally open: a part of the tongue between the centre and back is in the fully open position, no contact being made between the rims of the tongue and the upper molars.
VOWEL 5 /ɑ:/ classification
Length: LONG
tension: LAX
part of the tongue: BACK OPEN
position of the tongue: FULLY OPEN
lips: NEUTRALLY OPEN
Common spelling: AR ( hard) some A + nasal + consonant (answer, chance) some A + voiceless fricative (past, after)
Less common spelling: EAR (heart) ER (clerk, Derby, sergeant) AU (laugh, aunt) AL (calm, half) exceptions: OIR (reservoir, memoir) OIRE (repertoire)
distribution: FULL initial: art medial: bath final: spa
Problems for Spanish speakers: we make it shorter, the spreading of the lips.
Allophones: Relatively long subjected to reduction (ie: Star, after) When accented and followed by a voiceless-fortis consonant, or when accented and followed by an unaccented syllable in the same word.
VOWEL 6 /ɒ/ description
This short vowel is articulated with open jaws and slight open lip-rounding. No contact is made between the tongue and the upper molars.
VOWEL 6 /ɒ/ classification
Length: SHORT
Tension: LITTLE TENSION
Part of the tongue: BACK
Position of the tongue: JUST BELOW MID-OPEN POSITION
lips: SLIGHTLY ROUNDED
Common spelling: O (boss, snog)
Less common spelling: A after w, wh qu (wallet, quality, what) exceptions: AU (because, laurel, sausage, cauliflower, bureaucracy) OW, OU (knowledge, cough, Gloucester) A (quarrel, yatch)
Distribution: RESTRICTED initial: off medial:God. Never occurs in final position
Problems for Spanish speakers: It can be confused with /Λ/ or /Ͻ:/
Allophones: normally short
VOWEL 7 /ɔː/ description
This relatively long vowel is articulated with medium lip-rounding; the back of the tongue is raised between the open-mid and closed mid positions, no contact being made between the tongue and the upper molars.
VOWEL 7 /ɔː/ classification
length: LONG
tension: ALMOST LAX
part of the tongue: BACK
position of the tongue: BETWEEN MID-CLOSE AND MID OPEN
lips: MEDIUM ROUNDED LIPS
spelling common: AW (saw, hawk) OR, ORE (born, borne) OAR (board) AU (cause, daughter)
spelling less common: A+L (talk) AR after W, QU (war, quarter) OOR (door, floor) OUR (court, four) OUGH + consonant (bought) exceptions: OA (broad) A (water) URE (sure)
distribution: FULL initial: or medial: taught final: law
Allophones: Relatively long subjected to reduction, when accented and followed by a voiceless-fortis consonant, or when accented and followed by an unaccented syllable in the same word.
VOWEL 8 /ʊ/ description
This short vowel is pronounced with a part of the tongue nearer to centre than to back raised just above the close-mid position; it has, therefore, a symmetrical back relationship with the front vowel /ɪ/; the tongue is laxly held (compared with the tenser /u:/, no firm contact being made between the tongue and the upper molars.
