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V
owels are the sounds which are produced without hindrance in the vocal tract, that is
to say, articulators allow airflow to go out in the vocal tract without any obstruction.
Moreover, vowel sounds are articulated with open approximation. Furthermore, all
vowel sounds are sonorant, hence, they are voiced. In addition, all these sounds are produced in
the smaller area of the vocal tract that is the region of palatal as well as velar region.

Vowel sounds are analyzed in various ways; for example: 1) vowel height/ height of the tongue,
2) horizontally/ horizontal position of the tongue), 3) lips shape, 4) vowel length, 5) nasality, 6)
monophthong, 7) and diphthong

Vowel height: it refers to the distance between the articulators (tongue height against palate). This
type of the distance between the active articulator against the passive articulators in the production
of the vowel sounds can only be judged with x-ray
High/ open /i:/, /uː/
photography. Normally, it is hard for the person to
High mid/ open mid /ɪ/, /ʊ/, /ə/
identify how much high is the particular area of his
Mid central /ɔː/, /ɛ/
tongue relative to the hard palate.
Low mid/ close mid /ɜː/, /ʌ/, /ɔː/
Vowel height is further divided into 1) high, 2) high
Low/ close /æ/, /ɑː/, /ɑ/
mid, 3) low mid, 4) and low. This division can be
substituted with the name of 1) open, 2) open mid, 3) close mid, 4) and close

Horizontally: it refers to the highest point of the tongue relative to the other areas of the tongue
in the production of vowel sound. This type of difference can only easily be judged with x-ray
photography. Normally, it is difficult for the person to identify which part of his tongue is high
relative to the other parts of his tongue.

Horizontal division of the tongue is further divided into 1) front, 2) center, 3) and back, referring
to which part of the tongue is highest.

Front Center Back

/iː/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/ /æ/, /ə/, /ɜː/, /ʌ/ /ɑː/, /ɑ/, /ɔː/ /ʊ/, /uː/

Lips: it refers to the attitude of lips in the production of vowel sounds. This distinction can easily
be judged before the mirror while producing different vowels.
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The shape of the lips is further divided into 1) rounded, 2) and un-rounded. 8 vowels are unrounded
and 4 are rounded.

Unrounded Rounded
/i:/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/ /æ/,/ə/, /ɜː/, /ʌ/, /ɑː/ /ɑ/, /ɔː/ /ʊ/, /u:/

Vowel length: it refers to how long the vowel lasts when it is produced. There are 7 vowels which
last long and 5 which do not last long.

Vowel length is divided into 1) short vowel, 2) and long vowel.

Short vowels are 5 in numbers, whereas, long vowels are 7 in numbers.

Short vowel /ɪ/ /ɛ/ /æ/ /ɑ/ /ʌ/ /ʊ/ /ə/

Long vowel /iː/ /ɑː/ /ɔː/ /ɜː/ /uː/

Nasality: it refers to the velum that either it raises or lowers in the production of vowels; for
example, “can /kæ᷉n/” wherein the velum lowers down to let the air go through the nasal cavity,
hence, /æ/ becomes nasalized due to the influence of the following nasal sound /n/.

Monophthong: In monophthong the tongue remains at the same position in the production of
vowels. They are is also called pure vowels. English has 12 pure vowels.

Monophthong /iː/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/ /æ/, /ə/, /ɜː/, /ʌ/, /ɑː/, /ɑ/, /ɔː/, /ʊ/, and /u:/

Diphthong: when a tongue moves from one point to the other point in the production of vowels.
Diphthong is also called gliding vowels. Moreover, diphthongs are the combination of two vowels.

Diphthong is further divided into 1) closing diphthong, 2) and centering diphthong.

Closing diphthongs are 5 in numbers, whereas, centering diphthongs are 3 in numbers.

Closing diphthongs Centering diphthongs

Day /eɪ/ in /deɪ/ Near /ɪə/ in /nɪə(r)/
Bite /aɪ/ in /baɪt/ Ear /eə/ in /eə(r)/
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Boy /ɔɪ/ in /bɔɪ/ Tour /ʊə/in /tʊə(r)/

Now /aʊ/ in /naʊ/
Go /əʊ/in /ɡəʊ/

Descriptions of vowels

[iː]: it is a long, front, high un-rounded monophthong closer to C1; for example, “seat /siːt/”.

[ɪ]: it is a short, front, high un-rounded monophthong between C1 and C2; for example, “sit /sɪt/”.

[ɛ or e]: it is a short, front, high mid un-rounded monophthong between C2 and C3 but closer to
C3; for example, “set /set/”

[æ]: it is a short, front, low un-rounded monophthong between C3 and C4; for example, “bat/bæt/”

[ʌ]: it is a short, central, low mid un-rounded monophthong closer to C14; for example, “run /rʌn/”

[ɜː]: it is a long, central, mid un-rounded monophthong between C14 and C15; for example, “girl
/ɡɜːl/”

[ə]: it is a short, central, mid un-rounded monophthong closer to C15; for example, “about /əˈbaʊt/”

[ɑː]: it is a long, back, low un-rounded monophthong closer to C5; for example, “car /kɑː(r)/”

[ɑ]: it is a short, back, low rounded monophthong between C5 and C6 but closer to C6; for
example, “what /wɒt/”.

[ɔː]: it is a long, back, mid rounded monophthong between C6 and C7 but closer to C6; for
example, “more /mɔː(r)/”.

[ʊ]: it is a short, back, high mid rounded monophthong between C7 and C8 but closer to C7; for
example, “book /bʊk”

[u:]: it is a long, back, high rounded monophthong between C7 and C8 but closer to C8; for
example, “school /skuːl/”

[ɪə]: it is a centering diphthong wherein the tongue glides from front, high un-rounded
monophthong to short, central, mid un-rounded monophthong; for example, “ear /ɪə(r)/”
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[eə]: it is a centering diphthong wherein the tongue glides from short, front, high mid un-rounded
monophthong to short, central, mid un-rounded monophthong; for example, “tear /teə(r)/”.

[ʊə]: it is a centering diphthong wherein the tongue glides from short, back, high mid rounded
monophthong to short, central, mid un-rounded monophthong ; for example, “tour /tʊə(r)/”.

[eɪ]: it is a closing diphthong wherein the tongue glides from short, central, mid un-rounded
monophthong to short, front, high un-rounded monophthong ; for example, “age /eɪdʒ/”

[aɪ]: it is a closing diphthong wherein the tongue glides from long, back, low un-rounded
monophthong to short, front, high un-rounded monophthong; for example, “eye , /aɪ/”.

[ɔɪ]: it is a closing diphthong wherein the tongue glides from long, back, mid rounded
monophthong to short, front, high un-rounded monophthong; for example, “oil /ɔɪl/”.

[aʊ]: it is a closing diphthong wherein the tongue glides from long, back, low un-rounded
monophthong to short, back, high mid rounded monophthong ; for example, “/faʊl/”

[əʊ]: it is a closing diphthong wherein the tongue glides from short, central, mid un-rounded
monophthong to short, back, high mid rounded monophthong; for example, “go /ɡəʊ/”.