This document discusses English vowels and their classification. It explains that vowels are produced with an unobstructed air stream and are approximant, voiced, and oral sounds. It then provides examples of English vowels and how they are named based on the height, position, and rounding of the tongue. Central vowels like /ə/ are distinguished from front vowels like /i/ and back vowels like /u/. Vowels can also be tense or lax. The document includes a vowel chart and discusses diphthongs like /aɪ/ and /aʊ/ which involve a glide from one vowel sound to another. It notes there is variation in vowel pronunciation across English accents.

1. English Phonology
Structure of Language

2. VowelsStructure of Language

3. Vowels
• produced by passing air throughdifferent shapes
of the mouth,withdifferent positions of the
tongueand the lips, and withthe air stream
relatively unobstructedby narrow passages except
at theglottis.

4. Vowels
• Thus, they areapproximant,voiced,
oral,andcentral.

5. Pronounce these
peat
pit
pet
pate
pat
put
putt
pool
poke
pot
part
port

6. English Vowels
a
e
i
u
o
And sometimes ‘y’
i
ɪ
ɛ
ə
ɜ
æ
u
ʊ
ɔ
ɒ
ʌ
ɑ
/si/
/hɪt/
/sɛt/
/əbaʊt/
/hɜ/
/kæt/
/tu/
/bʊk/
/fɔ/
/ʤɒg/
/sʌn /
/fɑ/

7. central
low
mid
front
high
back
Naming a Vowel

8. Naming a Vowel
• The ‘height’of the tongue:front or
central or back
• The position of the tongue:high ormid
or low
• The degree of liprounding:roundedor
unrounded

9. Try these!
• feed – food
• feet - fat

10. Tenseness
• Degree ofmuscular effort or
constriction: tense vs lax
• leap– lip/ suit – soot

11. Well...
‘Vowel sounds are notoriousfor varying
between onevariety of Englishand the next,
often beinga key elementin whatwe
recognizeas differentaccents.’
Yule (2010:35)

12. Naming a Vowel
• The ‘height’of the tongue:front(palatal) or central
or back (velar)
• The position of thetongue:highor mid or low
• The degree of lip rounding: roundedor unrounded

13. Naming a Vowel
• The ‘height’of the tongue:front(palatal) or central
or back (velar)
• The position of thetongue:highor mid or low
• The degree of lip rounding: roundedor unrounded

14. Vowel Chart
i
ɪ
ɛ
ə
ʌ
u
ʊ
æ
ɒ
ɑ
ɔ
front central back
high
mid
low
ɜ

15. Diphtongs
• a combinationof two vowel sounds
• the tongue starts in one placeand glides
to another

16. Diphtongs

17. Diphtongs
• [aɪ]
• [aʊ]
• [ɔɪ]
• [oʊ]
• [eɪ]
buy, eye, I, my, pie, sigh
bough, doubt, cow
boy, noise
boat, home, throw, toe
bait, eight, great, late, say

18. Vowel Chart
i
ɪ
ɛ
ə
ʌ
u
ʊ
æ
ɒ
ɑ
ɔ
front central back
high
mid
low
ɜ
e o
a

19. Btw,
‘Thepronunciationof any ofthese
diphthongsmay vary from our description
because of the diversity of Englishspeakers.’
Fromkin, Rodman, Hyams (2011:271)

20. References
• Finegan, E. (2008).Language:ItsStructureandUse,5th
Edition.
• Yule,G. (2010).TheStudyofLanguage,FourthEdition.
• Fromkin,V., Rodman, R., & Hyams, N. (2009).An
IntroductiontoLanguage,9th Edition.