SEGMENTALS:

CRITICAL VOWELS,
CRITICAL
CONSONANTS AND
DIPTHONGS
There are methods of classifying the sound of the
English language. These are classified into three
important group :

• Vowels
• Consonants
• Diphthongs
 VOWEL
is any sound that is produced by movement of the speech
organs with no audible noise ( without obstruction) by
constriction in the vocal tract.

CONSONANT
is a speech sound that is produced by either a partial
or complete audible noise (without obstruction) by
constriction in the vocal cords.
 DIPHTHONG

is a vowel in which there is noticeable sound

change within the same syllable. It is voiced
glide uttered in a single breath.
In the production of vowel sound , it is very
important to know that all vowels are voiced
sounds and the mouth passage is obstructed.

A vowels in english can be described based on the

following parameter:
• 1.the height of the tongue or openness of
the mouth. This give us the categories :
• 2. The area of the mouth that has the
highest part of the tongue used in the
production . this gives us the categories :
FRONT, CENTRAL AND BACK
The front vowels are high [i] , lower high-front [I] , Higher
mid front [e], lower mid front [E] and low front [ae]

The [i] as in beat /bit/, seen /sin/, heat/hit/, is a high front

tense unrounded vowel

examples:
believe preach kneel seize
dream scheme queen clean
seed leap seventeen each
LET’S DO THIS!