República Bolivariana de Venezuela

Ministerio del Poder Popular para la Educación Universitaria

Instituto Universitario Técnico Superior de Oriente

Barcelona- Edo. Anzoátegui

VOWELS
AND
DIPHTHONGS

Docente: Alumno:
Samuel Zabaleta Fabiana Campos: 30.983.643
Alfonzo Yaguaran: 30.930.096
Backness: Backness refers to the horizontal tongue position during the articulation of a vowel relative
to the back of the mounth. In front vowels, such a (i), the tongue is positioned forward in the mounth,
whereas in back vowels such as (u), the tongue is positiones towards the back of the mount. The I.P.A
identifies different degrees of vowel backness, although no know language distinguishes all five:
Front vowel, near-front vowel, central vowel, near-back vowel, back vowel.
Height: Height refers to the vertical position of the tongue relative to either the roof of the mount or
the aperture of the jaw. In high vowels, such as [i] and [u], the tongue is positioned high in the mouth,
where as in low vowels, such as [a], the tongue is positioned low in the mounth. Sometimes the terms
open and close are used as synonyms for low and high for describing vowels. The I.P.A identifies
seven different vowels heights, although no know language distinguishes all seven: close vowels (high
vowels), near-close vowel, close-mid vowel, mid vowel, open-mid vowel, near-open vowel, open
vowel (low vowel).
VOWEL BACKNESS:

 When you extended your tongue forward toward your teeth, you are making a more FRONT
vowel sound.
 When you retract your tongue backward towards your throat, you are making a more BACK
vowel sound.
VOWEL HEIGHT:

 When your lower your tongue towards your lower jaw, you are making a more OPEN vowel
sound.
 When you raise your tongue toward the roof of your mouth, you are making a more CLOSED
vowel sound.

Further, there are only two dimensions of

movement that affect the sound of a vowel:

 Up/down movement
 Forward/ back movement

 When you move from /i/ -> /u/, you are

retracting your tongue backward for a
more BACK sound
 When you move from /u/ -> /i/, you are
extending your tongue forward from a
more FRONT sound.
VOWELS
 The term refers to the union or the combination of a pair of adjacent vowels that are
expressed in the same syllable. It is a vowel that has two different targets.
Maybe the most important aspect when we refer to diphthongs in English is that they are not
formed by two simple vowels together, but one long vowel where the pronunciation changes
since the beginning to the end, in other words, the pronunciation changes completely at the
end of the word. The most common diphthongs in English, specially USA, are said to be
/ow/, /ou/, /oy/ and /oi/ as in bow, ground, toy and coin.

DIPHTHONGS
EXAMPLES OF
DIPHTHONGS

The most common types of diphthongs that you can find in American English are the
following:
/eɪ/: It has a Long A sound
This type of diphthong is very similar to the long A sound. The correct way to pronounce it
is as a long A sound sliding into a long E sound. Some examples are: day, may, clay, away.
/aɪ/: This type of diphthong is pronounced as a long I sound sliding into a long E sound.
The sound of this diphthong can vary from one dialect to another one. In some places the
long I sound is pronounced in the words as one single sound. Some dialects pronounce the
vowel sound more like the “AH” sound you would here in “ball”. Some examples of words
with this type of diphthong are: sky, try, fry, pie, cry, tie, why.
/ɔɪ/: This one is pronounced as a long O sound, in this case, the sound quickly slides into a
long E sound. Some examples of this type of diphthong are: joy, annoy, enjoy, ploy, soil,
boil.
/ɪə/: It is pronounced as a long E sound sliding into an Ur sound. The examples are:pier,
hear, steer, clear, fear.
/aʊ/: Is pronounced as a short A sound sliding into an “oo” sound. Some examples of this
type of diphthong are the following: brown, cow, how, frown, now.
/oʊ/: This diphthong is frequently used and only pronounced as a single long O sound. It is
important to remember that this type has a long O sound sliding into an “oo” sound. Some
examples are: yellow, coat, float, though, toe, no, low, although.
PART. II
-Explain the vowels triangle.

Height: Height refers to the vertical position of the tongue

relative to either the roof of the mount or the aperture of
the jaw.

VOWEL BACKNESS:

 When you extended your tongue forward toward your teeth,

you are making a more FRONT vowel sound.
 When you retract your tongue backward towards your throat,
you are making a more BACK vowel sound.

VOWEL HEIGHT:

 When you move from /i/ -> /u/, you are

retracting your tongue backward for a more
BACK sound.
 When you move from /u/ -> /i/, you are
extending your extending you tongue forward
from a more FRONT sound.