This document provides information about English vowels and diphthongs. It discusses vowel letters and sounds, and how sounds are classified based on tongue height, tongue backness, lip rounding, length, and tense vs lax articulation. Examples and links to pronunciation exercises are given to help learners practice distinguishing vowel sounds based on these phonetic characteristics.

1. LESSON 4
ENGLISH VOWELS
& DIPHTHONGS

2. Vowel letters in
the alphabet
A
U 0
IE

3. VOWEL
SOUNDS
IN
ENGLISH

4. Tongue Height
Tongue Backness
Lip Rounding
Vowel Length
Tense vs Lax

5. TONGUE HEIGHT
high mid low

6. Pronounce the sounds. Where is your
tongue?
/iː/
/e/
/ɑː/

7. TONGUE HEIGHT: read and find examples
High Mid Low
/ɪ/
/iː/
/ʊ/
/uː/
/e/
/ə/
/ɜː/
/ʌ/
/æ/
/ɑː/
/ɒ/
/ɔː/

9. TONGUE BACKNESS: read and find examples
Front Central Back
/ɪ/
/iː/
/e/
/æ/
/ə/
/ɜː/
/ʌ/
/ɑː/
/ɒ/
/ɔː/
/ʊ/
/uː/

10. Lip rounding https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sds973fXLpo

11. Vowel length
Short vowels
/ɪ/
/ʊ/
/æ/
/ɒ/
/e/
/ə/
/ʌ/
Long vowels
/iː/
/uː/
/ɑː/
/ɔː/
/ɜː/

12. Tense vs Lax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVgDMhEdGCw

13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxTS7meyL-Y

14. https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/color-vowel-chart

15. Practice
https://www.tolearnenglish.com/exercises/exercise-english-
2/exercise-english-20336.php
https://engfluent.com/english-pronunciation-exercises/