Lecture 3. English Vowels_Monophthongs_1st Year

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

Lecture  No  3:  

Detailed Study of English Vowels

1. Definition of a Vowel 1.1.From a linguistic point of view: a vowel is a sound that has the central function in a syllable. Examples: - The indefinite article a (vowel) - cat (cvc)

- at (vowel+consonant)

- to (c+v)

- streets ( cccvcc)

- fox ( cvcc)

1.2. From a phonetic point of view: a vowel is a sound articulated with a voiced egressive airstream without any closure/narrowing in the vocal tract to give rise to an audible friction. There are 20 vowel sounds in English:

12 monophthongs: 7 short vowels: /ɪ/, /e/, /æ/, /ʌ/ , /ɒ/, /ʊ/ , /əә/. and 5 long vowels: /i:/ , /ɑ:/ , /ɔ:/ , /з:/ , /u:/. 8 diphthongs: 5 closing diphthongs: /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /əәʊ/. and 3 centring diphthongs: /eəә/, /ɪəә/, /ʊəә/.

2. The Difference between Vowels and Consonants We can mention the main differences between vowels and consonants as follows: Consonantal Sounds

Vowel Sounds

There is an obstruction or narrowing of airflow There is no obstruction of airflow as it passes in the vocal tract from the larynx to the lips.

in the vocal tract from the larynx to the lips.

We have voiced and voiceless consonants.

All the vowel sounds are voiced.

Optional in a syllable (we can find it or not).

Obligatory in any syllable (it must be found).

3. Description of a Vowel English vowel sounds are affected by the changing shape and position of the articulators. The different vowels can be categorised according to three features: 3.1. The shape of the lips (rounded, spread or neutral) For instance, the lips are rounded in ‘got’

but spread in ‘bee’

and neutral in ‘cut’

3.2. The shape (front, centre, back)  & position of the tongue in the mouth (high, low)     We mean the part of the tongue involved in the articulation and its degree of raising (height).

Page 1 of 8  

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics     For example in see/i:/ the tongue is high, but low in thought /ɔ:/.

A vowel which is articulated when the back of the tongue is highest point towards the soft palate is called a back vowel. A central vowel is articulated when the center of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. When the front of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, it is called a front vowel.

 

Fig  1.  Tongue  positions  

3.3. The duration of the vowel (long or short) When the vowel sounds take a short period of time, they are called whereas the

take longer time.

4. The Vowel Chart In phonetics, we represent the quality of vowels and diphthongs by placing them on a four-sided figure usually known as the Cardinal Vowel Quadrilateral Chart, in which we have three horizontal labels for the position of the tongue (front, centre and back) in the mouth opposing the soft palate; on the other hand, we have four vertical lines for the shape of the tongue or the degree of opening of the mouth (close, close-mid, open-mid, open) describing the English vowels. Thus, cardinal vowels are a standard reference system to describe, classify and compare vowels.

The above chart was named after Daniel Jones (1881-1967) and it is called Daniel Jones Diagram. Page 2 of 8  

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

I. ARTICULATIONS OF THE FRONT VOWELS 1.1. Description of the articulation of /iː  / - The soft palate is raised and the nasal resonators shut off. - The front of the tongue is raised slightly below and behind the front close position. There is a firm contact between the side rims of the tongue and the upper side teeth.

- The lips are spread.

Example  words:      meet,  bean,  people.  

1.2. Description of the articulation of /ɪ / - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - This short vowel is articulated with a part of the tongue nearer to centre than to front, the tongue is raised above the mid-close position. The side rims contact with the upper molars slightly.

- The lips are loosely spread.

Example  words:  kid,  busy,  women.  

1.3. Description of the articulation of /e/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - The front of the tongue is raised between the mid-close and mid-open positions. The side rims make a light contact with the upper molars.

- The lips are loosely spread and wider apart.

 Example  words:  Get,  leisure,  any,  dead.  

1.4. Description of the articulation of /æ/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - The front of the tongue is raised below the mid-open position. The rims make a very light contact with the back upper molars.

- The lips are neutrally open.

Example  words:  Cat,  ran,  hand.  

Page 3 of 8  

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics! !

Drills for practising front vowels 1) Listen and repeat

/iː/

see

agree

Peter key

/ɪ / /e/ /æ/

if

ship

(From English Pronunciation is Use

eat seat

team field

ski

litre

miss

kilo dinner

check

leg

letter

many

again

said

back

camera

red

factory

hat

piece these metre secret evening

pizza police

swim busy

p. 12)

machine

building

people

system history

sentence

bread

jam

manager

head

map

equal

read(pp)

plan

honey

village

friend

traffic

any

family

2) Practise the following sets of minimal pairs Minimal pairs are two words which differ in meaning when only one sound is changed. A group of words differentiated by each having only one sound different from all others, e.g. pin vs. bin, cot vs. cut…

1) /iː/

/ɪ /

Beat Heel Lead Neat Teen

bit hill lid knit tin

2)

/e/

/æ/

bet hell led set ten

bat Hal lad sat tan

3) Read the sentences and find the front vowels in the following words 1. Can you see the sea?

1. Tell me again.

2. A piece of pizza, please.

2. Send me a cheque.

3. Peter’s in the team.

3. Correct these sentences.

4. A kilo of peaches and a litre of cream.

4. Twenty to twelve.

5. Please can you teach me to speak Portuguese?

5. Help your friend.

1. Fifty-six 2. Dinner in the kitchen. 3. A cinema ticket. 4. A picture of a building. 5. Big business.

1. Thanks for the cash. 2. I ran to the bank. 3. Where is my black jacket. 4. That man works in jam factory. 5. Let me carry your bags. Page 4 of 8

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Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

II.

ARTICULATIONS OF THE CENTRAL VOWELS

2.1. Description of the articulation of /ɜː/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - This long vowel is articulated with centre of the tongue raised between the mid-close and mid-open positions. A

light contact is made between the rims and the upper molars. - The lips are neutrally open.

 Example  words:  learn,  burn,  bird.  

2.2. Description of the articulation of /əә/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - The centre of the tongue is raised between the half-close and half-open positions when the vowel is in non-final positions: alone, suppose. But in final positions: doctor, mother, picture, the center of the tongue is in the mid-open position.

Example  words:  about,  actor,  centre.  

- The lips are neutrally open.

2.3. Description of the articulation of /ʌ / - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - The centre of the tongue is raised above the open position. The is no contact between the tongue and the upper molars.

- The lips are neutrally open.

 Example  words:  run,  front,  double.  

Page 5 of 8  

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

Drills for practising central vowels 1: Listen and repeat /ʌ/ bus

colour

mother

/ ɜː/

bird

first

Thursday

(From English Pronunciation is Use

come

much

nothing

birthday journey

cup

front number

circle thirty

early

bus London

earth

run

word heard

study work

luck sun

world

learn service

p. 22) Monday month uncle worse

prefer

under turn

verb

2: Practice the following sets of minimal pairs 1)

/ ɜː/

/ʌ /

/ʌ /

/æ /

bird

bard

bud

bad

lurk

lark

luck

lack

bun

burn

barn

bun

ban

hurt

hut

hurt

heart

hut

hat

curt

cut

curt

cart

cut

cat

/ ɜː/

/ ɑː/

bud

bird

lurk

luck

burn

2)

3)

3: Underline the following sentences - Good luck with your exam next month! - Take the number one bus. - I said ‘Come on Monday’, not ‘Come on Sunday’. - My brother’s studying in London.

4: Find the central vowels in the following sentences - The girl was watching the birds. - How far’s the car park? - That was the worst journey in the world. - Have you ever heard this word? - The cakes weren’t very good. - She went to university to learn German. Page 6 of 8  

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

III. ARTICULATIONS OF THE BACK VOWELS 3.1. Description of the articulation of /ɑː/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - This long R.P vowel is articulated with a part of the tongue between the centre and the back in the fully open position.

- The lips are fully open.

 Example  words:  car,  half,  calm,  farm.  

3.2. Description of the articulation of /ɒ/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - For this short vowel the back of the tongue is in the fully open position.

- The lips are slightly rounded.

 Example  words:  got,  lost,  pot,  what.  

3.3. Description of the articulation of /ɔː/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - For this long vowel the back of the tongue is raised between the mid-open and mid-close positions. - There is a medium lip-rounding.

Example  words:  course,  caught,  bought.  

3.4. Description of the articulation of /ʊ/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - This short vowel is articulated with a part of the tongue nearer to centre than to back above the mid-close position, with a slight contact between the rims and the upper molars.

- The lips are loosely rounded.

 Example  words:  book,  put,  full,  would.  

3.5. Description of the articulation of /uː/ - The soft palate is raised and the nasal cavity shut off. - This long vowel is articulated with a part of the tongue somewhat advanced from true back and raised just below the close position with a light contact with the upper molars.

- The lips are closely (fully) rounded.

 Example  words:  fool,  moon,  lose,  you.   Page 7 of 8

 

Mohamed Kheider University of Biskra____Section of English____First Year LMD___Phonetics    

Drills for practising back vowels 1: Listen and repeat

/ ɑː/

after

afternoon

fast

/ɒ/

father

bottle

box

quality

/ɔː/

want

all

ball call

short

autumn

full

sugar

/ʊ/ / uː/

too

group

ask

answer

bath

glass

tomato

car

chocolate wash

clock

bathroom card

coffee

wasn’t

far copy

can’t

class

dance

park

star

start

cost

watch

fall

tall

wall

quarter

door

saw

before

what

warm

daughter

book

foot

would

woman

shoe

blue

music

new

2: Consider the following sets of minimal pairs 1) / ɔː/ / ɒ/ 2) / ɔː/ / ɑː/ 3) / uː/ / ʊ/

got

cross water

born

taught

thought

good two

look fruit

4) / ʊ/

put juice

/ ɒ/

port

pot

port

part

pool

pull

good

god

cord

cod

born

barn

fool

full

look

lock

stork

stock

court

cart

suit

soot

put

pot

cork

cock

store

star

Luke

look

could

cod

sport

spot

form

farm

cooed

could

shook

shock

3: Find the back vowels in the following sentences - I’ll ask my aunt where is my glasses. - See you tomorrow afternoon. - You can find him on the fourth floor. - John has gone to the shops. - The dinner will be ready soon.

- He bought a lot of books and novels. Page 8 of 8