Vowels

Rounding

When a rounded vowel is pronounced, the lips form a circular opening.

Would, go, food, all. /ʊ/ /oʊ/ /u/ /ɔ/

Subtopic

Unrounded vowels are pronounced with the lips relaxed.

English, been, plan, eighteen, get. /ɪ/ /i/ /æ/ /eɪ/ /ɛ/

Semi rounded (neither rounded nor spread). Although this feature cannot be represented in a side viewof the mouth, it is nonetheless an additional determinant of vowel quality.

About, one, park, bear, better. /ə/ /ʌ/ /ɑ/ /ɜr/

Tenseness

The tense vowels. This added muscle tension serves to stretch the articulation of tense vowel sounds to moreextreme peripheral positions in the mouth, making them less centered

Beef, make, tool, show, far, morning. /i/ /eɪ/ /u/ /oʊ/ /ɑ/ /ɔ/

Lax vowels: Muscles more relaxedLess tendency to glideOccur only in closed syllables when stressed

it, grammar, else, away, couple, herb, answer, should. /ɪ/ /æ/ /ɛ/ /ə/ /’ʌ/ /ʊ/

Position

High

Bit, meet, could, moon. /ɪ/ /i/ /ʊ/ /u/

Middle

Way, bed, wonderful, early, doctor. /eɪ//ɛ/ /ə/ /’ʌ/ /ɜ/ /oʊ/

Low

Bad, lot, doctor. /æ/ /ɑ/ /ɔ/

What is a vowel? sound in which the flow of air from the lungs passes through the mouth, which functions as a resonance chamber, with minimal obstruction and without audible friction

The letters A, E, I, O, and U are called vowels. The other letters in the alphabet are called consonants.

Tongue

Front

lip, these, man, beige. /ɪ/ /æ/ /eɪ/ /ɛ/

Central

Around, color, not, there, teacher. /ə/ /’ʌ/ /ɑ/ /ɜ/ /ə/

Back

Put, older, move, talk. /ʊ/ /oʊ/ /u/ /ɔ/

Diphthongs

Vowel sounds in which the tongue changes position to produce the sound of two vowels.

hide, bite [ɑɪ]

how, bout [ɑʊ]

boy [ɔɪ]