Class: AVK45F – Group: 2

Name: Đỗ Nguyễn Thoại An

DESCRIBING VOWELS

Exercise 1 – Height of the tongue (Vowel height) (10 minutes)

Answer the following questions. (2,25pts)

1. How different is the tongue body when we produce /ɑ:/ and /i:/?
When we produce /ɑ:/ the tongue is lowered . The tongue is raised when we produce /i:/

2. What are the 3 major degrees of vowel height

High (close), Mid, Low (open)

3. List all the high, mid, and low vowels in English.

High: /i:/, /ɪ/, /u:/, /u/

Mid: /e/, /ə/, /ɜː/, /ʌ/, /ɔ:/
Low: /æ/, /ɑ:/, /ɒ/

Exercise 2 – Frontness/backness of the tongue (15 minutes)

True of False? Correct the false statements. (2.5pts)

No. Questions T or F? Your correction

1 /i:/ is called a front vowel because when /i:/ T
is produced, the front part of the tongue is
high in the mouth
2 /e/, /ǝ/, /ɜ:/ and /ʌ/ are front vowels F /e/ is front vowel
The others are central vowels
3 /ɑ:/ is a mid central vowel F /ɑ:/ is low central vowel
4 There are 4 back vowels in English T

5 The vowel in the word hot is a low back T

vowel

Exercise 3 – Tension/ Tenseness and Lip rounding (15 minutes)

Match the beginning of the following statements with their endings. Write the letters a-g next to 1-7.
(1.75pts)

1. Tense vowels are produced
2. Lax vowels are produced
3. /i:/, /ɜ:/, /ɑ:/, /ɔ:/ and /u:/
4. Rounded sounds are produced
5. All back vowels
6. /i:/, /ɪ/, /e/, /ɜː/, /æ/, /ɑ:/, /ʌ/, /ə/
7. The vowel in the word need
a. when the lips form a circle-like shape.
b. are unrounded.
c. with greater muscular tension and greater
duration.
d. with relaxed muscles in the mouth.
e. is a high front tense unrounded sound.
f. are tense sounds.
g. are rounded sounds.

1. c. 5. g.
2. d. 6. b.
3. f. 7. e.
4. a.

Exercise 4: Describe vowels (20 minutes)

Write the description to these given vowels (3.5 pts)
i: Tense high front unrounded
I Lax high front unrounded
u: Tense high back rounded
ʊ Lax lower high back rounded
e Lax mid front unrounded
ɜː Tense lower mid central unrounded
ə Lax upper mid central unrounded
ʌ Lax lower mid central unrounded
ɔː Tense lower mid back rounded
æ Lax low front unrounded
a: Tense low central unrounded
ɒ Lax low back rounded