Vowel sounds are classified in

terms of:

�Tongue height

�Tongue backness

�Lip rounding

�Tenseness

Vowels are classified in terms of how much space there is between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, which is determined by roof of the mouth, which is determined by the height of the tongue.

There are three primary height distinctions among vowels: high (close), low (open), and mid.

Vowels are classified in terms of how far the raised body of the tongue is from the back of the mouth, which is called the backness of the tongue.the backness of the tongue.

There are three primary height distinctions among vowels: front, back, and central.

ACCORDING TO TONGUE HEIGHT AND TONGUE

BACKNESS VOWELS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO:

Another aspect of vowel classification is the presence or absence of lip rounding . Some vowels, such as the vowels/ʊ/and /ɒ/ are formed with a high degree of lip /ɒ/ are formed with a high degree of lip rounding.

Such vowels are called rounded vowels. Some vowels, such as /i/ and /ɜ:/, are formed without such rounding, and are called unrounded vowels.

This diagram displays the two

extreme lip postures and two

intermediate lip postures. The high

front cardinal vowel [i] has a very

spread lip posture. The high back

cardinal vowel [u] has a very tightly

rounded lip posture. The low front

cardinal vowel [a] has a spread lip

posture but this is a more neutral posture but this is a more neutral

posture than for [i] because the

lower jaw position for this vowel

causes the lips to be more open. The

half-open back cardinal vowel [ɔ] has a rounded lip posture but the

lips are more open then for [u]

because of the lower jaw position.

Another aspect of vowel classification is commonly characterized in terms of the classification is commonly characterized in terms of the tenseness or laxness of the articulators.

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 1/ i:/

The front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. It is a FRONT vowel. The tongue is raised towards a close position, so it is a CLOSE vowel. The tongue is tense The lips are spread or neutral.

REGULARLY SPELT:

ee: tree, cheese, canteen e: complete, be, these ea: leaf, reason, seaie: piece, field, siegeie: piece, field, siegeey, ei: seize, key, receivei: machine, police, prestige, suite

NOTE: people

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 2 /ɪ/

The front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. It is a FRONT vowel. The tongue height is near a half close position, so it is a half close vowel. The tongue is lax. The lips are spread.

REGULARLY SPELT:

i: fifth, rich, sit, with y: city, rhythm, symbole: pretty, needed, wicked, except. carelesscarelessie: ladies, cities, countriesa: village, private

NOTE: build, Sunday

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 3 / e /

The front of the tongue is raised so, it is a FRONT vowel. The tongue height is between half close and half open. The tongue is lax.The lips are slightly spread.

REGULARLY SPELT:

e: bed, wet, went ea: breath, dead, heada: many, Thamesa: many, Thames

NOTE: says, said, bury, Geoffrey, Leicester, friend, ate, again.

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 4 /æ/

The front of the tongue is raised so, it is a FRONT vowel. The height of the tongue is between half open and open. The tongue is lax.The lips are spread.

REGULARLY SPELT:

a: hand, lamp, macho, marry, rash, sat ai: plaid, plait ai: plaid, plait

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 5 /ɑ:/

The back of the tongue is raised , so it is a BACK vowel. It is an OPEN vowel because the tongue is quite low down in the mouth. The tongue is tense.The lips are rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: a: pass, charge, bath, tomato, father, branchar: part, car, marchear: heart, hearther: clerk. Derby, sergeanter: clerk. Derby, sergeantal: calm, palm, half au: aunt, laugh

NOTE: vase

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 10 /ʌ/

The central part of the tongue is raised , so it is a central vowel.The height of the tongue is more open than half open. The tongue is lax.The lips are neutral .

REGULARLY SPELT: u: cut, drug, dull, sun, yuppieo: son, come, among, one, done, colour, monkey, mother, nothing, Monday, onionou: country, Southern, couple, enough, ou: country, Southern, couple, enough, young oo: blood, floodoe: does

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 6 /ɒ/

The back of the tongue is raised , but is not fully back. The height of the tongue is between half open and open. The tongue is lax.The lips are slightly rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT:

o: dock, bonk, holiday, sorry, gonea: was, what, swan, want, watch, qualityou, ow: cough, trough, Gloucester, knowledgeknowledgeau: because, sausage, laurel, Austria, Australia, cauliflower

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 7 /ɔ:/

The back of the tongue is raised , so it is back vowel. The height of the tongue is between half open and open. The tongue is tense.The lips are rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: ar, or: war, quart, cord, horse, sword, born ore: before, more our: court, fouroar, oor: board, door, flooroar, oor: board, door, floorau, augh: fault, cause, daughtera: all, talk, salt, wateraw: saw, lawn, jaw, awesome ou: bought, oughtNote: broad

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 8 /ʊ/

The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, but it is not so fully back vowel. The height of the tongue is near a half open position. The tongue is lax.The lips are close rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT:

u: butcher , cellular, cushion, full, put, sugar oo: book, good, wood, woolo: bosom, wolf, woman o: bosom, wolf, woman ou: should, courier, could, would Note: Worcester

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 9/u:/

The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, so it is a back vowel. The height of the tongue is raised to a close position. The tongue is tense.The lips are close rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT:

u: rude , June, Susan, crucial, oo: food, soon, moon, spoono: do, who, move, lose ou: group, soup, throughou: group, soup, throughew: chew, flew, grew ueui blue, juice, shoe, clueoe

NOTE:

In many cases of the spelling u, ew, eu, ue, ui /u:/ is preceded by /j/:music, duke, neuter, few, argue, nuisance,beautybeauty

In some words both /u:/ and /ju:/ areheard: suit, enthusiasm

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 11/ɜ:/

The central part of the tongue is raised, so it is a central vowel. The height of the tongue is between half open and half close.The tongue is tense.The lips are moderately rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT:

er, err: her , serve, err, crucial, ur, urr: turn, church, purr, nurseir, yr: bird, first, girl, myrtle w+o: word, world, worsew+o: word, world, worseear: earth, heardour: journey, courtesy, scourgeNOTE: colonel