UNIT 1

LESSON 7 (CONTD.) MECHANISM OF MONOPHTHONGS

The following points are taken into consideration in the production of monophthong sounds:-
 Front, Central, Back: refer to the part of the mouth where the tongue is raised the highest
when a particular vowel is pronounce.
 High, Mid, Low: indicate whether the tongue is raised higher, about the same, or lower than
when it is in its “resting” position.
 Lip position: Lips are either rounded or unrounded.
Hence, Monophthong sounds can be categorised according to the position of the tongue, into
three categories---front, back and central
 FRONT VOWELS
 Four monophthong sounds, namely /i/, /i:/, /e/ and /æ/ are front vowels.
 The sound /i:/, is known as front close unrounded vowel, because the front of the
tongue is raised, close/near to the hard palate, and the lips are spread.
 The sound /i/, is known as front unrounded vowel just above the half closed position,
because the centre of the tongue is raised in the direction of hard palate just above
the half close position. The lips are loosely spread.
 The sound, /e/ is known as front unrounded vowel between halfclose and half open, as the
front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate between half open and half
close and the lips are loosely spread.
 The sound /æ/ is called, the front unrounded vowel just below the half-open position, as
the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate just below the half open
Front vowels
BACK VOWELS
 The sound /a:/ is a back open unrounded vowel, as a part of the tongue is in the full
open position and lips are naturally open, jaws widely spread.
 The sound /ɔ/ is a back rounded vowel just above the open position, as the back of the
tongue is just above the fully open position. Jaws are wide open and lips slightly
rounded.
 The sound /ɔ:/ is back rounded vowel between half open and half close, the back of the
tongue is raised towards the soft palate between half open and half close positions
and the lips are rounded.
 The sound /u/ is a back rounded vowel just above half close, the front part of the tongue
is raised in the direction of the soft palate, just above half close, lips are rounded.
 The sound /u:/ is back close rounded vowel, as the back of the tongue is raised in the
direction of the soft palate, very near the close position.
Back vowels
CENTRAL VOWELS

 The sound /ʌ/ is a central unrounded vowel just above open. The centre of
the tongue is raised in the direction of that part of the roof of the
mouth that is between the hard and soft palates just above the open
position.
 The sound /ə:/ is a central unrounded vowel between half close and half
open.
 The sound /ə/ is a central unrounded vowel just below half open.
Central vowels
 Thank you