Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 1

Vowels

Webpage: http://web.pdx.edu/~connjc/

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 2

Cardinal vowels = not real language - the extreme positions of the vowel space - use IPA vowel symbols to representA language uses these symbols for the closest vowel like articulation in that language (English [i] is not cardinal [i] but cardinal [i] is closest)

Cardinal vowel (1) = [i] – any further front/high would be

(voiced palatal fricative)Cardinal vowel (5) = - any further lower/back would be

(voiced pharyngeal fric)

Vowel quality in different languages and varieties of the same language differ - not always phonetically accurate

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 3

Cardinal vowels pretend equal distance between each vowel, but the front vowels have much further space from high to low than the back vowels (See Figure 9.3, p. 215)

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/#

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 4

Tongue height not really valid – there is an auditory quality that is more appropriately captured by “vowel height” and can be measured acoustically (F1, F2, etc).

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 5

Secondary cardinal vowels are identical to primary, but have opposite lip rounding (plus a couple extra) See Figure 9.5, p. 217

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 6

Acoustic analysis of vowels – from Plotnik – Portland speaker (contrast with Figures 9.6-9.8, pp 219-220)Chapter 9

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons

IPA

iy

ey

i

e

uw

u

ow

o

oh

oy

aw

ay

ah

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 7

Vowels - vowel space broken down even more than in English

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 8

Acoustic analysis of vowels – from Plotnik – Portland speaker (contrast with Figures 9.6-9.8, pp 219-220)Chapter 9

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons

IPA

iy

ey

i

e

uw

u

ow

o

oh

oy

aw

ay

ah

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 9

Different Vowel Systems - Portland

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 10

Different Vowel Systems – Philly Bonnie

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 11

Different Vowel Systems - Portland

C = syllable closed by Cons; F = free – vowel final; V = closed by voiced Cons or final; 0 = closed by voiceless Cons

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 12

Vowels - vowel space broken down even more than in English

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 13

Vowel Chart Modified

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

HIGH

MID

LOW

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 14

Summary of vowel quality (see Table 9.2, p. 226)

HeightBacknessRhotaciziationRoundingATRNaasalization

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 15

Advanced tongue root = ATR - pharyngeal constrictionNot the same as tense/lax but kinda sorta

[ ] = retracted tongue root (-ATR)[ ] = advanced tongue root (+ATR)

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 16

Rhotacized vowels - different ways to produce r-coloring (shown in acoustic signal by lowering of F3)

Nasalization - Vowels are nasalized = air is allowed to escape the nasal passage AS WELL AS the oral passage

Approximants can also be nasalized

Vowel quality - Height, backness, rounding, rhotacization, ATR, nasalization

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 17

Secondary articulations (See p.231 – Table 9.5)

Palatalization - as in Russian = added [j] after consonantPalatalized = above; a sound made closer to palatal region (English [k] in word ‘key’ is palatalized); historical process that turns sounds into alveopalatal consonants

Velarization - secondary raising of back of tongue (dark [l] in English)

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 18

Secondary articulations (See p.231 – Table 9.5)

Pharyngealization - narrowing of pharynx (Hebrew, Arabic)

Labialization - additional lip rounding ([w] after/at the same time as consonant)

Labialization + palatalization

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 19

Chapter 9 - Vowels and vowel-like articulations

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 20

Practice – try to transcribe the following words

7

8

9

10

11

12

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 21

Practice – try to transcribe the following words

7

8

9

10

11

12 ’

Chapter 9Chapter 9Slide 22

•Vowel Practice?