2. A vowel is a speech sound that
A vowel is a speech sound that
is produced without any
is produced without any
obstruction air in the speech
obstruction air in the speech
tract. There are twenty vowels
tract. There are twenty vowels
in English. These are sub-divided
in English. These are sub-divided
into two: pure
into two: pure
vowels(monothongs) impure
vowels(monothongs) impure
vowels(diphthongs).
vowels(diphthongs).
3. Vowels are described based on the following
criteria:
(i) The height of the tongue
(ii) The part of the tongue that is raised or
lowered
(iii) The position of the lips
4. A vowel may be short or
A vowel may be short or
long. Long vowels take two
long. Long vowels take two
dots in front of them, e.g
dots in front of them, e.g
/i:/, /a:/ while short vowels e.g
/i:/, /a:/ while short vowels e.g
/i:/, /e/ do not.
/i:/, /e/ do not.
5.
6.
7.
8. /i:/
it is a long vowel
common spellings.
ee, as in tree e, as in complete
as in cheese as in jesus
as in canteen as in be
as in seen as in these
as in been i, as in machine
cene, as in scene as in prestige
as in suite
ea, as in leaf ey, as in key
as in reason as in storey
as in sea as in money
as in beat
9. ie, as in piece
ie, as in piece
as in field
as in field
ei, as in seige
ei, as in seige
as in receipt
as in receipt
as in deceive
as in deceive
10. 2. /i/
it is a short vowel
common spellings
i, as in bit o, as in women
as in sit a, as in village
as in rich as in private
y, as in lorry as in manage
as in bury ay, as in monday
as in any as in sunday
e, as in pretty rhy, as in rhythm
as in naked
as in careless
11. minimal pairs
minimal pairs
/i:/ /i/
/i:/ /i/
beat bit
beat bit
deed did
deed did
bead bid
bead bid
neat hit
neat hit
seat sit
seat sit
12. 3. /e/
It is a short vowel.
common spellings
e, as in set ea, as in heaven
as in get as in feather
as in beg as in thread
as in let as in threat
as in peck as in dread
as in peg a, as in many
as in any
as in thames
as in ate
as in says
13. ea, as in dead u, as in bury
ea, as in dead u, as in bury
as in head eo as in leopard
as in head eo as in leopard
as in Geoffrey
as in Geoffrey
14. 4.
It is a short vowel.
common spellings
a, as in sat a, as in badge
as in bat as in mary
as in pack ai, as in plait
as in back as in plaid
as in hat
as in bag
as in batch
15. minimal pairs
minimal pairs
/i:/ /i/ /e/
/i:/ /i/ /e/
neat knit net
neat knit net
reach rich wretch
reach rich wretch
read rid red
read rid red
17. EXERCISE
EXERCISE:
: Construct one sentence
Construct one sentence
each with the following pairs of
each with the following pairs of
words.
words.
1. neat, knit
1. neat, knit
2. reach, rich
2. reach, rich
3. read, rid
3. read, rid
4. pet, pat
4. pet, pat
5. peck, pack
5. peck, pack
19. 5.
5. /a:/
/a:/
It is long Vowel.
It is long Vowel.
common spellings:
common spellings:
/a:/
/a:/ It is long in the following words
It is long in the following words
ar
ar, as in march
, as in march
as in large
as in large
as in chart
as in chart
as in hard
as in hard
ear,
ear, as in heart
as in heart
20. er, as in clerk
as in Derby
al, as in calf
as in palm
as in alms
au, as in laugh
as in aunt
21. minimal pairs
minimal pairs
cart cut
cart cut
harm hum
harm hum
march much
march much
lark luck
lark luck
dance dunce
dance dunce
EXRCISE. Write ten contrastive pairs of the
EXRCISE. Write ten contrastive pairs of the
following sounds. .
following sounds. .
22. 6.
It is a shot Vowel
common spellings.
o, as in dog
as in pot
as in hot
a, as in was
as in swan
as in want
ou, ow, as in cough
as in trough
au, as in because
as in Australia
as in laurel
as in qualify
23. 7.
7.
It is a long Vowel
It is a long Vowel
common spellings;
common spellings;
or, as in cord
or, as in cord
as in sword
as in sword
as in born
as in born
aw, as in saw
aw, as in saw
as in lawn
as in lawn
as in dawn
as in dawn
as in yawn
as in yawn
24. ore, oor, as in before
as in more
as in floor
as in door
oar, our, as in oar
as in board
as in court
as in four
26. 8.
It is a short Vowel
common spellings:
u, as in put oo, as in good
as in full as in book
as in cushion as in cool
o, as in wolf ou, as in could
as in woman as in would
as in bosom as in should
27. 9.
9.
It is a long Vowel
It is a long Vowel
common spellings:
common spellings:
oo, as in food ou, as in group
oo, as in food ou, as in group
as in moon as in through(N)
as in moon as in through(N)
as in spoon as in wound
as in spoon as in wound
o, as in do u, as in rude
o, as in do u, as in rude
as in move as in june
as in move as in june
as in lose as in Susan
as in lose as in Susan
ew, as in chew ui, as in juice
ew, as in chew ui, as in juice
ue, as in blue oe, as in shoe
ue, as in blue oe, as in shoe
29. 10.
10.
It is a short Vowel
It is a short Vowel
common spellings:
common spellings:
u
u, as in hut
, as in hut ou
ou, as in rough
, as in rough
as in cut as in trouble
as in cut as in trouble
as in Sunday as in country
as in Sunday as in country
as in sun as in young
as in sun as in young
o
o, as in won as in cousin
, as in won as in cousin
as in one as in courage
as in one as in courage
as in love
as in love
as in among
as in among
31. 11.
11.
It is a long Vowel
It is a long Vowel
common spellings:
common spellings:
ir, yr
ir, yr, as in bird
, as in bird ur, urr
ur, urr, as in turn
, as in turn
as in first as in church
as in first as in church
as in myrtle as in purr
as in myrtle as in purr
er, err, ear
er, err, ear as in her
as in her W+or
W+or, as in word
, as in word
as in serve as in world
as in serve as in world
as in err as in work
as in err as in work
as in earth
as in earth our
our, as in journey
, as in journey
as in heard as in scourge
as in heard as in scourge
32. 12. (schwa)
It is a short Vowel
common spellings:
i, as in possible
e, as in gentleman
a, as in woman
o, as in oblige
u, as in suppose
ar, as in particular
er, as in mother
or, as in doctor
ou, as in famous