This document provides information on English vowel sounds. It discusses that all English vowels are voiced, meaning the throat vibrates when producing them. It describes different aspects of vowel production including lip and tongue position, length as long or short, and being tense versus relaxed. There are 17 total vowel sounds in English presented. Exercises are included asking the reader to produce vowel sounds in words and identify characteristics like which uses more open mouth or causes rounding of the lips. References for further reading on pronunciation instruction are also listed.

1. English Pronunciation
of Vowel Sounds

2. How do you make English
vowel
sounds?

3. All English vowel sounds are
VOICED
• That means if you take your hand
and place it on your throat, you will feel
vibrations as you say each vowel
sound (we use our voice).
Let’s feel:
// / // / // /

4. The air and the sound flow out of our
mouths when we say vowels
They're not blocked or obstructed
in any way
// / // / // / // / // / // / // / // /

5. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Position:
 Lip position;
 Tongue Position;
 Vowel Length (long or short);
 Tense – Relaxed

6. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Lip Position:
 Our lip can be rounded – /O /
 Our lip can be spread – /O/
 Our lip can be relaxed – /O/

7. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Tongue Position:
 Our tongue can be high inside our mouth – / /
 or it can be low – / /
 or it can be somewhere in the midle – /o/

8. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Vowel Length:
Vowels are long or short
 Some vowels are very short – /S/ Sit
 and some vowels are longer – /a/ See

9. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Tense versus Relaxed:
Some vowels are more tense than others
 // / – More tense
 // / – More relaxed

10. How many vowel sounds are
there in English?
Notall books and dictionary present the
same number of vowel sound.
In this class I’ll present 17 vowel sounds.
Let’s Start...

11. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds

12. Where’s my mouth more closed,
and where is it more open?
// n/ /aa/ // /
more closed more closed
// / /u/
// /
// / // /
// /
// n/ // n/
// /
// / // /
// /
more open // / // / more open

13. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
Exercises – Answer the questions:
1. Say “gat” and “get”
Wich vowel sound is longer
 The “a” in “gat” - /geɪt/
 The “e” in “get” - /get/

14. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
2. Say “spun” and “spoon”
Wich vowel sound is longer
 The “u” in “spun” - /spʌn/
 The “oo” in “spoon” - /spu:n/

15. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
3. Say “choose” and “cheese
Wich vowel sound makes you round
your lips (like in a circle)
The “oo” in “choose” - /tʃu:z/
The “ee” in “cheese ” - /tʃi:z/

16. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
4. Say “father” and “further”
Wich vowel sound makes you open
your mouth more?
d.The “a” in “father” - /fɑ:ðər/
e.The “ur” in “further” - /fɝ:ðɚ/

17. English Pronunciation of
Vowel Sounds
4. Say “hey” and “hoe”
Wich vowel sound makes you back of
your tongue rise higher?
 The “ey” in “hey” - /heɪ/
 The “oe” in “hoe” - /hoʊ/

18. Referências Bibliográficas
SILVEIRA, Rosane; ZIMMER, Márcia C.;
ALVES, Ubiratã Kickhöfel. Pronunciation
instruction for Brasilians: Student’s book.
Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2009.