Articulatory

Phonetics
Vowel

Vowel
Vowels are produced with no significant
blockage of the air in the oral cavity
Vowel sounds carry pitch and loudness; you can
sing vowels or shout vowels.
Vowel sound can stand alone they can be
produced without consonants before or after
them.
Example: you can say the vowels of the book
/bk/ without the initial [b] or the final [k], but
you cannot say a [b] or a [k] alone without at
least a little bit of vowel sound.

The Parameters for the Vowel

Production
a. The height of the tongue (how high
or low in the mouth is the tongue?)
b. The position of the tongue (how
forward or backward in the mouth is
the tongue?)
c. The rounding of the lips (are the lips
rounded or spread?)
d. Tense-lax (are the muscles tense or
less tense?)

The Height of the Tongue

High Vowels
Produced with the tongue high in the mouth
The resonance space in the mouth is at its minimal
-> the air escapes through a narrow passage.
Example:
Mid Vowels
Produced with the tongue in the middle of the
mouth
The air space is halfway.
Example:

 Low Vowels
Produced with the tongue low in the
mouth
The area for the resonance is at its
maximum
-> the air escapes through a wide
passage
Example: / a: /

The Position of the Tongue

Front
Produced with the tongue in the front
of the mouth
Example:
Central Vowels
Produced with the tongue in the center
of the mouth
Example:

 Back Vowels
Produced with the tongue in the back
of the mouth
Example: /a:/

The Rounding of the Lips

Rounding
Vowels can be ROUNDED or UNROUNDED
Rounded vowels are made with the lips
rounded
Example:
Unrounded vowels are made with the
lips not rounded
Example: / a: /

Tenseness (Tense-Lax)
This refers to the state of the
muscles in our mouth.
Vowels can be tense or less tense
Tense vowels are produced with
more tension in the facial muscles
(they feel tighter)
Example:

 Lax vowels are produced with less

tension in the facial muscles (they
feel looser)
Example: /a:/