Sounds Classes

By Natalia Anggrarini
Day II of English Phonetics and Phonology
Lecturer of Wiralodra University
October 2011
 Vowels
The words vowels and consonants are very
familiar, but when we study about sounds of
speech scientifically we’ll find that it’s not easy
to define exactly what they mean.
Vowels are sounds in which there is no
obstruction to the flow of the air as it passes
from the larynx.
We begin the study by looking at vowels and it is
necessary to say something about vowels in general
before turning to the vowels of English.
We need to know in what ways vowels are differ from
each other.
The first matter to consider is the shape and position of
the tongue.
It is usual to simplify the very complex possibilities by
describing just two things:
1. The vertical distance between the upper surface of
the tongue and palate,
2. The part of the tongue between front and back,
which raised highest.
 The articulation of vowel
The articulatory features that distinguish different vowel sounds
are said to determine the vowel's quality.
Daniel Jones developed
the cardinal vowel system
1. the common features height (vertical dimension),
2. backness (horizontal dimension) and
3. roundedness (lip position).
These three parameters are indicated in the schematic IPA vowel
diagram on the right. There are however still more possible
features of vowel quality, such as the velum position
(nasality), type of vocal fold vibration (phonation), and
tongue root position.
 IPA Vowels chart
The articulation of the vowels is represented in
the vowel chart below. The shape of the chart is
modeled on the shape of the phonetic space ie
the shape of the oral cavity produced by various
positions of the tongue. For English, the
phonetic space is represented as a trapezoid but
some languages would be represented by a
triangle.
 Cardinal Vowels
Cardinal vowels are a set of reference vowels
used by phoneticians in describing the sounds of
languages. For instance, the vowel of the English
word "feet" can be described with reference to
cardinal vowel 1, [i], which is the cardinal vowel
closest to it.
Analyzing word based on cardinal vowel:
Feet [fi:t ] : can be described with reference to cardinal vowel
1, [i], which is the cardinal vowel closest and as front and
unrounded as possible to make the vowel without obstructing
the flow of air enough to produce friction noise and the
position of tongue movement is in the highest position.
(friction noise is the sort of hissing sound that one hears in
consonants, like in s and f).
Bit [bit]: can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 2,
which is the cardinal vowel close-mid , front and the position
of tongue movement is mid and unrounded.
Bet [bɛt] : can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 3
as it positioned in open-mid and as front and the position of
tongue movement is mid, unrounded as the tongue get lower
that in pronouncing vowel [e]
Bar [bar]: can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 4 as
it positioned open, front and the position of tongue movement is
in the lowest and unrounded.
Hard [hɑrd]: can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 5
as it positioned open but the pronunciation of vowel [ɑ] located
in back position and the position of tongue movement is low
unrounded.
saw [sͻw]: can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 6 as
it positioned open mid, back and the position of tongue
movement is low rounded.
Boat : can be described with reference to cardinal vowel 7 as it
positioned close mid, back and the position of tongue movement
is mid and rounded.
Foot : can be described with reference to cardinal number 8 as it
positioned close, back and the position of tongue movement is in
the highest position and rounded.
Although the lips can have many different shapes and
positions, there are three possibilities, there are:
1. rounded: where the corners of the lips are brought
towards each other and the lips pushed towards
2. Spread: with the concerns of the lips moved away
from each other, as for smile, this is clearly seen in
cardinal vowel 1
3. Neutral: where the lips are not noticeably rounded
or spread. The noise most English people make they
are hesitating (written “er”) has neutral lip position.
For the articulatory difference vowels are
produced with little obstruction in the
vocal tract and are generally voiced.
While for the acoustic difference, vowels
are more sonorous that consonants, and so
we perceive them as louder and longer
lasting. Like the example of pronouncing
pet and bed.
 Long and short vowels
To remind you that these vowels tend to be long, the symbols consists of one vowel
symbol plus a length-mark made of two dots:
i:, ɜ:, ɑ:, ͻ:, u:
Example:
i: Beat, mean, peace. These words contain vowel which is nearer to cardinal vowel 1,
more closes and front. Than the short I like bid, pin, and fish. Although the tongue
shape is not much different from cardinal vowel 1, the lips are only slightly spread.
ɜ: bird, fern, purse. These words contain vowels which is known as hesitation sound
‘er’. The lip position is neutral
ɑ: card, half, pass. These words contain vowel in the region of 5 [ɑ]. The lips position
is neutral.
ͻ: board, torn, horse. The tongue height for this vowel is between cardinal vowel no 6
[ͻ] and no 7 [o]. This vowel is almost fully back and has quite strong lip-rounding
u: food, soon, loose. These vowels is not very different from cardinal vowel no 8 [u],
but it is not quite so back nor so close and the lips are only moderately rounded.
For the short vowel like: i, Ʊ, æ and we compare with : i:, u:, ɑ: so we can see the
difference in quality as well as in length.
 Diphthongs
There are so many diphthong in English, sounds which consists of a
movement or glide from one vowel to another.
Glide: a type of sound that shows properties of both consonants and vowels.
Pure vowel: a vowel which remains constant and does not glides
In terms of length, diphthongs are like the long vowels. Perhaps the most
important things to remember about all diphthongs is that the first part is
much longer and stronger than the second part
Example:
Eye, I : consist of the [a] vowel, and only in about the last quarter of the
diphthong does the glide to I become noticeable. As the glide to I happens,
the loudness of the sound decreases
The total number or diphthongs is eight (8). To make easy remember about
diphthong, here is the diagram:
 The diagram of diphthong
Diphthong

Centering closing

Ending in Ə ending in I ending in Ʊ

IƏ eƏ ƱƏ ei ai ͻi ƏƱ aƱ
The triphthongs can be looked on as being
compose of five closing diphthongs.
ei + ə = eiə
ai + ə = aiə
ɔi + ə = ɔiə
əʊ+ ə = əʊə
 Triphthong
The most complex English sounds of vowel type are the
TRIPHTHONG. They can be rather difficult to pronounce
and very difficult to recognize.
A triphthong is a glide from one vowel to another then to
a third, all produced rapidly and without interruption.
Example:
Hour : begins with quality similar to a:, goes to glide
toward the back close rounded area [Ʊ], then ends with a
mid-central vowel [Ə ]
We can combine those symbols to pronounce [aƱƏ ]
The triphthongs can be looked on as being
compose of five closing diphthongs.
ei + ə = eiə player /pleiə(r)/
ai + ə = aiə liar /laiə(r)/
ɔi + ə = ɔiə
aʊ+ ə = aʊə hour /aʊə(r)/