The document discusses the characteristics and production of English vowels, outlining their classifications based on tongue position, lip shape, and length. It explains the significance of open articulation and the role of vocal cords in producing voiced sounds. Additionally, it includes detailed descriptions and diagrams to illustrate the various types of vowels in British English.

1. MRS. K. DEEPA M.A.,M.Phil.,M.Ed.,M.Phil.,NET
ASST.PROF OF ENGLISH
AVINASHILINGAM INSTITUTE FOR HOME SCIENCE
AND HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN
COIMBATORE

2. General intro
– difficult –
India – British – R.P (Received Pronunciation) – socially
acceptable
Linguistic
description of a
language
variety/dialect –
England/America/
Africa/India…
Dialect differs
even within
countries

3. Definitions
 Vowel is a speech sound in which the mouth
is open and the tongue is not touching the
top of the mouth, the teeth, etc
 Vowel is a speech sound produced by
humans when the breath flows out through
the mouth without being blocked by the
teeth, tongue, or lips.

4. Introduction
Vowels – produced with the vocal tract open
All vowels are :
voiced – vocal track vibrates
Oral – nasal passage shut
Continuants – no obstruction of the air passage
Long or short
Pure & impure (diphthongs)
For that reason, they are said to be
articulated with an open
articulation

5. List of English Vowels (Pure)

6. Articulation
We know that in the
production of a sound,
several elements
participate: vibration
and resonance
English vowels
are all produced
with vibration of
the vocal folds -
voiced sounds
The only possible articulation is that of the tongue position,
being more or less raised, more or less advanced, because the
mouth will be open, as we have just stated

7. Sagittal sections
These diagrams are called
sagittal sections and
are very useful to see
how vowels are
pronounced
The diagram shows:
- heights that the tongue
can adopt in English
- maximum point of
elevation

8. According to elevation:
a) Front vowels
b) Central vowels
c) Back vowels
According to the degree of elevation:
a) High vowels
b) Mid vowels
c) Low vowels
According to the openness of the
mouth:
a) Close vowels (approximation)
b)Half-close vowels / Half-open
vowels
c) Open vowels

9. Four parameters are considered:
height
of the
tongue
backness
of the
tongue
position
of the
lips
Length
of time

10. Description of the pure vowels
1. According to the part of
the tongue raised
/i:,I,e,æ/ - Front Vowels
/a:, ɔ, ɔ :,u, u:/ - Back Vowels
/^, Ɛ:, ǝ/ - central Vowels
2. According to the degree of
raising the tongue
/i:, u:/ - Close Vowels
/I,u, Ɛ:/ - Half-close Vowels
/e, ɔ :, ^, ǝ/ - Half open
Vowels
/æ, a:, ɔ/ - Open Vowels
3. According to the state of
the lips
/i:, I, e, æ/ - Spread Vowels
/a:, ^, Ɛ:, ǝ/ - Neutral Vowels
/ ɔ, ɔ :,u, u:/ - Round Vowels
4. According to the length of
time
/i:, a:, ɔ :, u:, Ɛ:/ - Long
Vowels
/I, e, æ, u, ^, ǝ/ - Short
Vowels

11. Detailed description
/i:/ as in the word weed
1. During the articulation of this vowel, the soft-palate is
in its raised position, touching the back wall of the
pharynx and thereby closing the nasal passage of air.
2. The vocal cords vibrate [common to all vowels]
3.The front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the
hard palate to a position almost near close.
4. The tongue is tense and the lips are spread
5. Therefore this vowel can be described as a
front close unrounded vowel.

12. English Pure Vowels placed in Cardinal Diagram

13. Lip position
The vowels represented are
from British English
The scale also shows how
front vowels tend to be
unround while back vowels
are usually rounded
As far as the position of the
lips (the fourth resonator),
vowels can be defined as
being:
a) Neutral
b) Spread
c) Round

14. THE END