Class Presentation

1. Exploring
American English
Vowel Sounds:
Pizza for Dinner
English Pronunciation
September 14, 2023

2. Short "i" Sound
(/ɪ/):
• The short "i" sound is a tense,
high, and front vowel sound.
• It's typically found in words like
"bit," "sit," "big," and "lid."
• To produce this sound, your
tongue should be positioned
towards the front of your mouth,
and your lips should be
unrounded.
• It's a relatively short sound and is
often referred to as a "closed"
vowel sound because it's
pronounced with a relatively
closed vocal tract.
Examples:
• "Sit" (/sɪt/)
• "Big" (/bɪɡ/)
• "Milk" (/mɪlk/)

3. Long "e" Sound
(/iː/):
• The long "e" sound is a tense, high, and
front vowel sound.
• It's typically found in words like "bee,"
"see," "key," and "me."
• To produce this sound, your tongue is
high and close to the roof of your mouth,
and your lips are slightly spread.
• It's a relatively long sound and is often
referred to as an "open" vowel sound
because it's pronounced with a relatively
open vocal tract.
Examples:
• "See" (/siː/)
• "Me" (/miː/)
• "Tree" (/triː/)

4. Key Differences:
1. Length: The most significant difference between these two
sounds is their length. The short "i" sound (/ɪ/) is shorter in
duration, while the long "e" sound (/iː/) is longer.
2. Position of the Tongue: While both sounds are produced with
a high tongue position, the tongue for the short "i" sound is
slightly lower and less tense than for the long "e" sound.
3. Lip Rounding: The short "i" sound is typically produced with
unrounded lips, while the long "e" sound is produced with
slightly spread lips.

5. /ʊ/ (Short-U
Sound):
• The /ʊ/ sound is often referred to as the "short-U"
sound.
• It is a close, near-back, and lax vowel sound.
• To produce this sound, you round your lips slightly,
and your tongue is in a relatively relaxed, neutral
position.
• It's a short and quick sound, similar to the vowel
sound in the word "book" or "foot."
• Examples:
• "put" (/pʊt/)
• "look" (/lʊk/)
• "full" (/fʊl/)

6. /u/ (Long-U Sound):
• The /u/ sound is sometimes referred to as the
"long-U" sound.
• It is a close, back, and tense vowel sound.
• To produce this sound, you round your lips
tightly and push your tongue towards the back
of your mouth.
• It's a longer and more tensed sound
compared to /ʊ/, similar to the vowel sound in
the word "blue" or "food."
• Examples:
• "blue" (/bluː/)
• "food" (/fuːd/)
• "rule" (/ruːl/)

7. Key Differences:
1.Length: The most noticeable difference between these two
sounds is their length. /ʊ/ is a short and quick sound, while /u/ is
a longer and more sustained sound.
2.Tension: /u/ is a tense vowel sound, meaning your tongue and
lips are more constricted and tensed when producing it, while
/ʊ/ is a lax vowel sound, with a more relaxed tongue and lips.

8. Broad "Ah" Sound (/ɑ/):
• The broad "ah" sound is often represented by the symbol /ɑ/ in
the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
• It is a back, open vowel sound, meaning that the tongue is
positioned towards the back of the mouth, and the mouth is
relatively open.
• When pronouncing this sound, the lips are unrounded, and the
tongue is lowered and flattened towards the back of the mouth.
• It's the sound you hear in words like "father," "hot," and "pot."
Examples:
• "father" (/ˈfɑðər/)
• "hot" (/hɑt/)
• "pot" (/pɑt/)

9. Short "U" Sound (/ʌ/):
• The short "u" sound is often represented by the symbol /ʌ/ in the
IPA.
• It is a mid, central vowel sound, meaning that the tongue is in a
more neutral position in the middle of the mouth.
• When pronouncing this sound, the lips are typically unrounded,
and the tongue is at a medium height.
• It's the sound you hear in words like "cup," "luck," and "strut."
Examples:
• "cup" (/kʌp/)
• "luck" (/lʌk/)
• "strut" (/strʌt/)

10. Key Differences:
1.Tongue Position: The most significant difference between these two sounds is the
position of the tongue. The "ah" sound has a lowered and back tongue position, while
the short "u" sound has a more neutral and central tongue position.
2.Mouth Opening: The mouth is more open when producing the "ah" sound compared
to the short "u" sound. The "ah" sound is an open vowel sound, while the short "u"
sound is mid.
3.Examples: While there may be some overlap in certain dialects, in general, the "ah"
sound is found in words like "father" and "hot," whereas the short "u" sound is found in
words like "cup" and "luck."