TE10003

PHONOLOGY OF ENGLISH
TOPIC 2

VOWELS: SHORT AND LONG

VOWELS, DIPHTHONGS AND
TRIPHTHONGS
Primary Cardinal Vowels

Vowels that
humans are
capable to
produce, even
though not all
appear in
languages.
 Vowel

A speech sound in which the airstream from lungs is not blocked in any way in
the mouth or throat, and which is usually pronounced with the vibration of
the vocal cords.
/si:/ see
/tu:/ too

- The type of vowel sound which is

produced depends largely on the
position of the tongue.
a) Which part of the tongue (the front,
the middle, or the back) is raised
b) How far the tongue is raised
- A division of vowels can be made into
front, central, and back vowels
(according to how far the tongue is
raised)
 Classification of vowels
1. Position of Based on
tongue tongue
height
2. Lip rounding

Classification
based on the
position of
the tongue

Based on Based on
tongue tongue
backness frontness
 Classification based on lip rounding

i) Rounded – two corner of ii) Spread – two corners of

the lips are brought the lips moved away from iii) Neutral – the lips not
towards each other and the each other as for a smile. noticeable rounded or
lips pushed forwards. ɪ bit spread.
ɒ pot e bet ʌ but
ʊ put æ bat ɜ: bird
ɔ: board i: beat ɑ: card, half
u: food

All the front vowels and the central vowels are unrounded vowels, i.e., without
rounding the lips, and all the back vowels except /ɑ:/ are rounded vowels.
Say
● Who (rounded or unrounded?)
● He (rounded or unrounded?)
 Short Vowels

ɪ: igloo, e: bet, æ: sat,

sit, lip set, pen hat, cat

ɒ: sock, ʊ:put, look, ʌ:cup,

fox, hot foot hut, cut
 Long Vowels
i: beat, mean, peace.
- More close and front than the short
vowel I
- Lips slightly spread
u: food, soon,
loose
- Less back and ɔ: board, torn,
less close horse
- Lips - Fully back
moderately English - Lips rounded
rounded
long
vowels

ɜ: bird, fern, purse

- central vowel-well known in a: card, half,
English accents as a hesitation pass
sound (spelt ‘er’) - Lips neutral
- Lips neutral
• The distinct differences in quality between
similar pairs of long and short vowels depend
on:
– the tongue shape and position
– the lip position
– the length( the length mark is represented by the
two dots : )
 Diphthongs
• Sounds which consist of a movement or glide
from one vowel to another
• In terms of length, diphthongs like vowels. In
most diphthongs, the first part is much longer
and stronger than the second part.
• Example: aɪ (words: eye, I)
» It consists of the ‘a’ vowel-about the last quarter of
the diphthongs does glide to ɪ become noticeable. As
the glide to ɪ happens, the loudness of the sound
decreases. As a result, the ɪ part is shorter and
quieter.
• Centering ending in (ɪə, eə, ʊə)
– ɪə : beard, Ian, fierce
– eə : aired, cairn,scarce
– ʊə : moored, tour,tourist
• Closing ending in (eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ)
– eɪ : paid, pain,face
– aɪ : tide, time, nice
– ɔɪ : void, loin
• Closing ending in (aʊ, əʊ)
– aʊ : house, gown, loud
– əʊ : glow, most, home
 Triphthongs
• It is a glide from one vowel to another and
then to a third, all produced rapidly and
without interruption.
• Example: hour (Begins with a vowel quality
similar to ɑ: goes on to a glide towards the
back close rounded area ʊ and ends with a
mid-central vowel (schwa ə). We use the
symbol aʊə
eɪ + ə eɪə Layer, player

aɪ + ə aɪə Liar,fire

ɔɪ + ə ɔɪə Loyal,royal

əʊ + ə əʊə Lower, mover

aʊ + ə aʊə Power,hour
 How many speech sounds are there in the words below?

1. Cat
2. Pits
3. Bill
4. Phone
5. Show
6. limb
7. boxes
8. pants
9. exist
10. chew