PHONETIC AND

PHONOLOGY 20
SOUNDS OF VOWEL
Complied by :
Siti Nurhayati

DEFINITION OF VOWELS

There are several ways to present the vowels

of English. Vowels are described by the
position of the tongue (whether it is high,
mid, or low ; front, back or central) and by
the presence or absence of lip rounding
(Stryker, 1968 : 10)

CLASSIFICATION OF VOWELS IN ENGLISH

Actually the various vowel sounds are

produced by alternations in the shape of the
mouth cavity. All vowels are voiced sounds.
Those are the most important facts to be
remembered. The varieties of the shape of
all vowels involve the alternations of the
position of (a) tongue (b) the lips and (c) the
lower jaw.

Vowel phoneme, which is the vocal sounds

made without audible stopping of the
breath.

The Front Vowels : i:, i, ,

The Back Vowels : , u: , : , a:
The Central Vowels : : , ,


IMAGE OF DIAGRAM OF ENGLISH VOWELS
( THE VOWEL QUADRILATERAL )

The explanation of each vowels that may

further be classified by :

The height of the tongue

The part of the tongue which is raised
The position of the lips

Vowels / i:/
Relatively long
The height of the tongue : Close
The position of the lips : Spread lips
The part of the tongue which is raised : High
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Front
Here these example of vowels /i:/
Agree / gri: /
Brief / bri: /
Deal /di:l /
Degree /dgri:/
Eat / i:t /

Vowels / /
Relatively short
The height of the tongue : Between close and half
close
The position of the lips : Spread and neutral
The part of the tongue which is raised : Between high
and half high
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Front
Here these examples of vowels / /
Gape /gep /
Fright /frat /
Forgive /fgv /
Disk /dsk /
Climb / klam /

Vowels / /
Short vowel a
The height of the tongue : Open
The position of the lips : Open lip rounding
The part of the tongue which is raised : Low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these examples of vowel / /
Forest / frist/
Foreign / frn/
Lost / lst/
Lot / lt /
Copy / kpi /

Vowels :
Long vowel a
The height of the tongue : Half open
The position of the lips : Lips rounded
The part of the tongue which is raised : Half low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these examples of vowel / : /
Mall / m:l/
Lord / l:d/
Law / l: /
Lawn / l:n/
Launch / l:nt /

Vowels / : /
a long vowel
The height of the tongue : Open
The position of the lips : Neutral
The part of the tongue which is raised : Low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these examples of vowel /: /
Spark / sp:k /
Sharlk / :k /
Sharp / :p/
Unfasten / nf:sn /
Father / f: (r) /

Vowels / /
Short a
The height of the tongue : Between half open
and open
The position of the lips : Neutral and Spread
The part of the tongue which is raised : Low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Front
Here these examples of vowel //
Lag / lg /
Instance / nstns /
Lack / lk /
Irrational / rnl /
Interact / ntrkt /

Vowels :
Long vowel a
The height of the tongue : Half open
The position of the lips : Neutral
The part of the tongue which is raised : Half
low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Central
Here These examples of vowel /:/
Defer /df: ( r ) /
Determiner /dt:mn /
Fern / f:n /
Firm /f:m /
Purse /p:s /

Vowels //
Relatively short vowel
The height of the tongue : Half open
The position of the lips : Neutral
The part of the tongue which is raised : Half
low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Central
Here these examples of vowel / /
Abort /b:t /
Above /bv /
Accord /k:d /
Deliver / dlv (r )/
Fanatic / fntk/

Vowel /e/
Diphthong
Falling, narrow, closing diphthong
Middle open position
Number one in tongue position
The lips position is spread
Here these example of vowel / e /
Basic /besk /
Away /we /
Change / tend /
Fame /fem/
Innovate / nvet /

Vowels /a /
Diphthong
Voiced
Falling, wide, closing diphthong
Front vowel
Open position
Number two in tongue position
The lips position is rounded
Here these example of vowels / a /
Device / dvas /
Resign /rzan /
Size /saz /
Glide/ glad /
Tight /tat /

Vowels
Voiced
Short
Central vowel
Mid open position
Number three in tongue position
The lips position is spread
Here these example of vowel / /
Fallow /fl /
Focus /fks /
Goat /gt /
Hole /hl /
Global /glbl /

Vowels / u:/
A long vowel
The height of the tongue : Close
The position of the lips : Close lip rounding
The part of the tongue which is raised : High
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these examples of vowel /u:/
Food /fu:d /
Cool / ku:l /
Loose /lu:s /
Lose / lu:z /
Shoe /u: /

Vowels //
A short vowel
The height of the tongue : Between half open
and open
The position of the lips : Neutral
The part of the tongue which is raised :
Between half low and low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Central
Here these example of vowel //
Smug / smg /
Utter / t (r ) /
Upset /, set /
Update / ,pdet /
Wonder / wnd (r )/

Vowels //
A short vowel
The height of the tongue : Between close and half
close
The position of the lips : Rounded
The part of the tongue which is raised : Between
high and half high
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these example of vowel //
Bull /bl /
Close /klz /
Push /p /
Down /dn /
Load /ld /

Vowels /a/
Voiceless
Short
Central vowel
Mid open position
Number three in tongue position
The lips position is spread
Here these example of //
Trout /trat /
Snout /snat /
Pound / pand /
Shout / at /
Round / rand /

Vowels //
Diphthong
Voiced
Falling, narrow, closing diphthong
Back vowel
Mid open position
The lips position is rounded
Here theses example of vowel / /
Join / dnt /
Point /pnt /
Coin / kn /
Oil / l /
Boy / b /

Vowels //
Diphthong
Voiced
Centring, falling, narrow, opening diphthong
Mid open position
The lips position is spread
Here these example of vowel / /
Near / n (r )/
Fear / f (r )/
Dear / d (r )/
Gear /g (r )/
Year / j (r ) /

Vowels / e /
A short vowel
The height of the tongue : Mid close and open
The position of the lips : Rounded
The part of the tongue which is raised : Mid
half high and half low
Kinds of vowel phoneme : Back
Here these example of vowel /e/
Cell / sel /
Fresh / fre /
French / frent /
Let / let /
Lake / leik /

Vowels /e/
Diphthong
Voiced
Centring, falling, narrow, opening diphthong
Mid open position
The lips position is spread
Here these example of vowel / e /
Hair /he(r )/
Air /e (r)/
Fair /fe (r)/
Pair /pe (r)/
Lair / le (r)/

Vowels //
Diphthong
Voiced
Centring, falling, narrow, opening diphthong
Close position
The lips position is spread

Here these example of vowel //

Pure / pj(r)/
Cure / kj (r)/
Poorly /pli/
Procure /prkj(r) /
Pure /pj (r)/