VOWELS - MONOPHTHONGS

/ʌ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open to open--mid
Lip position Neutral
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: u sun, sudden o son, London oo blood ou enough NB also: does

/ ɑ: /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Open
Lip position Neutral
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Long
SPELLING PATTERNS: a grass ear heart au laugh NB a, e + r, l car, calm, clerk, park

/e/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Neutral (or only slightly spread)
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: e tell, bet ea spread a any, many NB also friend. said, bury

/æ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Open to open--mid
Lip position Neutral
Degree of tenseness Tense (in some descriptions lax, too!)

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: a bad, mad, stamp, pack ai plait

/ɪ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Slightly spread to neutral
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: i hit y cyst, cylinder, city (NB also ie cities) e exchange, English; NB also: women, busy, building

/ i: /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Close
Lip position Spread
Degree of tenseness Tense

Length Long
SPELLING PATTERNS: ee see ea sea, cease ie piece ei seize eo people ey key e these i police uay quay
 /ɒ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Open (just above)
Lip position Slightly rounded
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: o hot a wander, watch ou cough NB knowledge

/ ɔ: /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Rounded
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Long
SPELLING PATTERNS: a war, talk aw saw o(o)r corn, door oa board ou thought au taught NB four, broad

/ ʊ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Central to back
Degree of raising Just above the close-mid
Lip position Loosely rounded
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: u put oo wood o wolf ou could NB woman

/ u: /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Close
Lip position Closely rounded
Degree of tenseness Tense

Length Long
SPELLING PATTERNS: oo food o move ou through u rude NB blue, chew, shoe

/ə/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open-mid allophone/ close-mid allophone
Lip position Neutral
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Short
SPELLING PATTERNS: NB practically any vowel letter -policeman, policemen, support, arrange, quicker, famous..

/ ɜ: /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Monophthong
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Neutral
Degree of tenseness Lax

Length Long
SPELLING PATTERNS: NB various vowel-letters + r bird, work, earth, fern, journey, spur, serve, turn
VOWELS - DIPHTHONGS

CLOSING

/ɑʊ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Back (to central)
Degree of raising Open
Lip position Neutral
GLIDE TO:
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Very slightly rounded
SPELLING PATTERNS ow now, brown ou round, bound

/əʊ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Neutral
GLIDE TO:
Part of the tongue Back to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Slightly rounded
SPELLING PATTERNS: o no, go, alone oa load, goat ow know, bowl ou soul oe toe

/ aɪ /
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Open
Lip position Neutral
GLIDE TO :
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Very slightly spread or neutral
SPELLING PATTERNS: i kind y spy ye dye ie die ei either eye eye eigh height igh high

/eɪ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Slightly spread
GLIDE TO:
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Slightly spread
SPELLING PATTERNS: a take ay clay ai main ea break ei reign ey they
 /ɔɪ/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Back
Degree of raising Open-mid (to close-mid)
Lip position Slightly rounded
GLIDE TO:
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Close-mid
Lip position Neutral
SPELLING PATTERNS oy toy oi voice

CENTRING

/ɪə/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Very slightly spread
GLIDE TO:
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Neutral
SPELLING PATTERNS: ee, ea, ei, ie + r beer, snear, weird, pier ere here

/ʊə/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Back to central
Degree of raising Above close-mid
Lip position Very slightly rounded
GLIDE TO :
Part of the tongue Central
Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid
Lip position Neutral
SPELLING PATTERNS oo, ou, u + r poor, tour, during ure pure

/ɛə/
DISTINCTIVE FEATURES
Type of articulation Vowel
Manner of articulation Diphthong
FIRST TARGET:
Part of the tongue Front
Degree of raising Open to open-mid
Lip position Neutral
GLIDE TO :
Part of the tongue Front to central
Degree of raising Below open-mid
Lip position Very slightly spread or neutral
SPELLING PATTERNS: are hare air hair ear bear NB also there, their, heir