UNIT 2 (a)
THE ENGLISH PHONEMIC INVENTORY: VOWELS
i. Short and long vowels
Problems with vowels for spanish speakers
•
ii. Diphthongs and triphthongs
iii. Semi-vowels
The voweL system as opposed to the consent system
- vowels and consonants can be defined phonetically and phonologically
- VOWELS
• phonetically: sounds with the greatest sonority (energy) and with the least constriction of
the vocal tract
• phonologically: they occupy the heart (center) of syllables
- CONSONANTS
• phonetically: sounds with lower sonority / some blockage to the flow of air
• phonologically: they tend to occupy the beginning and the end of syllables
1. THE VOWEL SYSTEM
- languages tend to have more consonants than vowels
- abaraje number across languages is 20 consonants
and 5/6 vowels
- english has a much larger number of votes and their
half closed
spelling is inconsistent, so learning is much more
difficult
half open
2. PRIMARY CARDINAL VOWELS (handout on vowel
space)
- cardinal vowels are not vowels of any particular
language, but a reference system
- we will use them as a basis to describe the english
vowel system
2.1 English Vowels
- vowels can be classified according to tongue and lips
- TONGUE
• Tongue height: the vertical distance between te upper surface of the tongue and the palate
(hard palate) → close / open
• Tongue frontness or backness: which part of the tongue is raised the highest? → front / back
- LIPS
• lip-rounding: shape of the lips / how rounded / unranked the lips are when using the vowel
• rpunded: the lips come forward in a rounded shape as in /u/
• spread: as when we smile and the corner of the lips move away from each other as in /I/
• neutral: where the lips are neither rounded nor spread (like when we hesitate in English /ə/)
2.1.1 How many vowel does english have?
english has 12 vowels, which can be divided as follows
6 short vowels singles spunds
no change un the sound quality
vowels 5 long vowels
articulators stay in one position
schwa /ə/ pure vowels / monophthongs
english vowels differ not onlu in quality but also in quantity (length)
rounded vowels
as you ascend, the more
2.2 ENGLISH SHORT VOWELS rounded it gets
/I/: KIT (little, bit)
/e/: DRESS (men, send)
/æ/: TRAP (man, scratch)
/ /: STRUT (but, some)
/ /: LOT (gone, across)
/Ʊ/: FOOT (pull, push)
/ə/: schwa (again, second) half closed
/I/ - KIT
half open
TONGUE:
- it is in the close front area
- just above the half-close position (more to the
center and open tan cardinal vowel nº 1)
LIPS
- slightly spread
/e/ - DRESS
TONGUE
- the front of the tongue between half close and half open positions (between cardinal vowels 2
and 3)
- more tension than for /I/
LIPS
- completely spread (wider than for /I/)
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/æ/ - TRAP
TONGUE:
- front vowel, just above open (below half open)
- very close to cardinal vowel number 4
LIPS:
- neutral (unrounded)
/ / - STRUT
TONGUE:
- quite central
- the center of the tongue close to half open position
LIPS
- neutral
/ / - LOT
TONGUE:
- back vowel
- between open and half-open / above open (between cardinal vowels 5 and 6)
LIPS:
- slight lip-rounding
/Ʊ/ - FOOT
TONGUE:
- back vowel
- just above half-open
- it is moving away from the cardinal vowel 8 and becoming more central
LIPS:
- rounded (tendency to be unrounded)
/ə/ - SCHWA
- most central vowel
- neutral lips
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PROBLEMS WITH ENGLISH VOWEL FOR SPANISH SPEAKERS
Spanish has no contrast between short and long vowels, but english does
Examples: live vs leave / lot vs north
The problem is not only length. as english has more vowels, it is difficult to differentiate among he
many vowels it has (each with its own vowel quality)
Examples:
a) In contrast to spanish /a/, we have in english:
- man /æ/ (trap)
- duck / / strut
- part / :/ (start)
b) In contrast to spanish /u/, we have in english
- short /Ʊ/ (foot)
- long /u:/ (goose)
We do not have the most common vowel in English: schwa, typically used in function words (the,
a...) and auxiliary verb “have” of “was”/“is” (has taken/was going)
typical problem is mispronounciation: we tend to pronounce full vowels in english sa we do in
spanish.
STRONG & WEAK FORMS: THE & TO
the + vowel: when followed by a word starting in vowel, the is /I/ (KIT)
the + consonant: when followed by a word starting in the is /ə/ (schwa)
to + vowel: when followed by a word starting in vowel, to is /Ʊ/ (FOOT)
to + consonant: when followed by a word starting in to is /ə/ (schwa)
of always transcribed with v → /əv/
2.2 ENGLISH LONG VOWELS
There are 5 long vowels in english
1. /i:/ - FLEECE (mean, peace)
• front, rounded, close
2. /3:/ - NURSE (purse, term)
• centre, between half close and open, unrounded
3. /!:/ - START (card, half)
• between centre and back, open, slightly rounded
4. / :/ - NORTH (horse, board)
back, just after half close, mid rounded
•
5. /u:/ - GOOSE (loose, soon)
• back, close, similar to C.V 8, rounded
SHORT VS LONG
- this distinction is important because short and long vowels are not allophones but phonemes.
Therefore, there is a difference in meaning between pronouncing a short or a long vowel,
especially in the case of “minimal pairs”
• cod vs cord
• live vs leave
• foot vs food
3. DIPHTHONGS
- Diphthongs: sounds with consist of a movement of glide
- contrast
• Diphthongs: sounds with consist of a movement of glide
• Pure vowels: sounds that remain constant
CENTRAL
Iə
The starting point is a little closer the ‘I’ in “bit” and “bin”
Example: beard, weird, fierce
eə
The starting point is the same vowel sound as the ‘e’ in “get” and “met”
Example: aired, scare, chair
Ʊə
For speakers who have this diphthong, it has a starting point slightly closer than ‘u’ in “put” and
“pull”. Many speakers pronounce / :/ instead in some cases
Example: tour, sure, lure
CLOSING
ai
It begins with an open vowel which is between the front and the central area. In spite of the
spelling, it is kind of similar to the STRUT of the words “cut” and “bun”
Example: time, nice
ei
The starting point is the same vowel sound of the e of get
Example: paid, face
i
The first part has the same quality as / :/ in “ought” and “born”
Example: voice
CLOSING
əƱ
The vowel position for the beginning of this diphthong is the same as for the schwa, the lips may
be slightly rounded in anticipation of the glide towards u
Example: load, home, most
!"
It begins with a vowel similar to !: but since a glide towards ‘u’ it would need a large movement,
what usually happens is that the glide towards u begins but is not completed, there is only slight
lip-rounding.
Example: loud, house
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3. TRIPHTHONGS
- from greek: trips “three” + thong “sound”
- a triphthong is a glide from one vowel to another and then to a third, all produced rapidly
and without interruption
- the are the most complex english sounds of the vowel type
example
- hour
- pronunciation begins with a vowel quality similar tu /ɑ:/
- goes on to a glide towards the back close rounded area /Ʊ/
- ends with a mid-central vowel /ə/
triphthongs can be looked on as being composed or the five closing diphthongs + ə
eI + ə = eIə “layer, player”
aI + ə = aIə “liar, fire”
I + ə = Iə “loyal, royal”
eƱ + ə = eƱə “lower, mower”
aƱ + ə = aƱə “power, hour”
4. SEMI-VOWELS
THERE ARE 2 SEMIVOWELS (can also be called semi-consonants) in english /j/ (also called yod)
and /w/ (doble u)
examples
- yellow - /jeləƱ/
- yes - /jes/
- west - /wets/
- white - /waIt/
- the most important thing to remember is that they are phonetically like vowels but
phonologically like consonants
- from the phonetic point of view pf articulation, they are practically like vowels: /j/ is very
similar to /i:/, and /w/ similar to /u:/ (but both short —> Ʊ)
- from the phonological point of view, we use them as consonants
• they only occur before vowel phonemes (typical of consonant sounds)(they are at the syllable
boundary rather than at the center not he syllable) a year
• we say “an apple”, “an elephant” but “a year” “a war”
• we say “the apple”, “the elephant” but “the year” “the war”
