LING 103

Lec 4
Vowels

VOWELS

Describing Vowels
Vowel production is not described in terms of glottis, manner and place

Three parameters are used to describe the articulation of vowels:

Tongue position:
1.
2.
3.
Voicing:

The vowel quadrant

ә
LING 103
Lec 4
Vowels

Exercises.
1. Height
Put your tongue in rest position, then isolate and practice the vowels in
bead [i:]
bed [e]
bad [æ]
Can you describe the changes in tongue and jaw position that must happen for you to
articulate these vowel sounds moving from the rest position?

2. Learning to feel the horizontal movement

Alternate between the vowels [i:] in bead and [u:] in boo. Which sections of your tongue
moves?
For articulation of [i:], the of the tongue moves to the
[i:] is a vowel.

For articulation of [u:] the of the tongue moves to the

[u:] is a vowel.

3. Lip Position
Alternate the vowels /i:/ and /u:/, what shape do your lips take?
The lips are when producing /i:/

The lips are when producing /u:/

LING 103
Lec 4
Vowels

Vowel quality
Vowels can be either relatively unchanged or they can change through their production

Monophthong

Diphthong

Vowel Quantity
The length of time that it takes to produce a vowel is referred to as the vowel’s quantity.

Exercise:
(i). Identify the number of vowels in each word
ride revered river banana photographer
(ii). Which are diphthongs and which are monophthongs?
(iii). If the vowels are monophthongs, are they long or short?
LING 103
Lec 4
Vowels

Class membership
Like consonants, vowels can be grouped into natural classes.

Exercise
What features group the following sets?
[æ a:]
[ɜ: ә ʌ]
[ai ɜ: ɔi u:]
[ɔ: ʊ u:]
[g i: ә j]