Vowel Production Flashcards
Vowel Sounds
When we make vowel sounds, the air is NOT blocked in its passage from the lungs, that’s why different shapes of the mouth and different positions of the tongue and lips are used.
Tongue height (low-high)
We describe some vowels as being “high” as the tongue is high in the mouth when we say them. An example is the vowel in “me.”
Other vowels are “low” with the tongue lower in the mouth. An example is the vowel in “mat.”
Mid-vowel is “pet.”
Tongue position (front, central, back )
We consider which part of the tongue- the front, centre or back - is moving to shape the airflow.
Rounding of lips
We consider whether the lips are rounded or unrounded such as saying the word “he” to “who.”
The THREE factors of phonetic in vowel productions are…
Tongue heigh (low or high.) Tongue position (front, centre, back.) Rounding of lips (rounded or unrounded.)
TWO types of vowels
- Monophthong
2. Diphthong
Definition of Monophthong
A simple vowel that has the same sound throughout its pronunciation. One example is the vowels in the word “been.”
Definition of Diphthong
Occurs when the tongue starts in one place and moves to another in order to produce the vowel sound. Example is in the word “buy.”