Ch. 3 The Sounds of Language VOWELS 3-3 Online 2nd Term 2021

Chapter 3
The Sounds of Language
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 1

Lec. Tahani Almansour
OUTLINE
Phonetics
Consonants
-Voiced and voiceless sounds
Consonants: Place of Articulation
-Familiar Symbols
-Unfamiliar Symbols
Consonants: Manner of Articulation
Vowels (Manner of Articulation)
-Monophthongs & Diphthongs
Subtle Individual Variation

Vowels

The image can be found at the following link:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinal_vowel_tongue_position-back(png).svg
Consonants vs Vowels
• While consonants are mostly articulated via closure or obstruction in

the vocal tract, vowels are produced with relatively free flow of air.
• Consonants can be
(-V) & (+V)
• Vowels are voiced (+V).
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab The image can be found at the following link:
4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7jQ8FELbIo
Vowels & Consonants
• What is the difference between vowels and consonants?
Dr. Nesreen
• The differenceNawwab
between consonants & vowels 5
• https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mwuTIUIOAvU
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab
The
6
image can be found at the following link:
Lec. Tahani Almansour https://www.slideshare.net/internationalcatlady/phonetics-the-sounds-of-language-26216641
The image can be found at the following link:
https://pediaa.com/difference-between-vowels-and-consonants/
Types of Vowels
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab The image can be found at the following link: 8
Lec. Tahani Almansour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7jQ8FELbIo
Monophthongs: One Vowel

Vowels
Describing Monophthongs: Examples
Monophthongs are Simple Vowels that are produced without moving

your tongue.

Vowels
• Pronounce the words: heat, hit, hat, hot.
• Is there any difference in the tongue movement positions?

Vowels
Describing Monophthongs
• To describe vowel sounds, we consider the way in which the tongue

influences the shape through which the airflow must pass.

Vowels
(Describing Monophthongs)
• Vowels do not have places of articulation. Why? >> the airflow passes
freely without being obstructed.

Vowels
• Vowels have four positions (spaces) inside the mouth:

-Front vs. Back
-High vs. Low

Vowels
• There are two criteria to describe the vowels manner of articulation:

1.Tongue height
2.Tongue advancement

Tongue Height
The
Dr. image can be
Nesreen found at the following link:
Nawwab 16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7jQ8FELbIo
Tongue Advancement
“beef” “two”

Vowels
• After explaining the tongue positions inside the mouth when producing
vowels, we can explain the difference between pronouncing the
following words: heat, hit, hat, hot.
• Let us return now to our previous question.

Vowels
•Pronounce the words: heat, hit, hat, hot.
•Is there any difference in the tongue movement positions?

Vowels
• In the pronunciation of heat and hit, we pronounce “high, front”

vowels because the sound is made with the front part of the tongue in a
raised position.
• The mouth will stay fairly closed.

Vowels
• In contrast, the vowel sound in hat is pronounced with the tongue in a
lower position and the sound in hot can be described as a “low, back”
vowel.
• For hat & hot the tongue will move lower and cause the mouth to open
wider.

Vowels
Vowel Chart: it gives you an idea visually where all the vowel sounds
are made in your mouth.
Vowel Chart (table 3.4, p. 34)

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab
The most common vowel sound in English
22
Tongue Position with Front & Back Vowels
Dr.image
The Nesreen
can beNawwab
found at the following link:
23
http://englishinvancouver.blogspot.com/2012/04/vowel-sounds_22.html The image can be found at the following link:
Lec. Tahani Almansour https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cardinal_vowel_tongue_position-back(png).svg
Practice: describe the tongue position when pronouncing the
following vowels.

Monophthongs (one vowel)
or [i:] ]i[ Beef, key, me
Front vowels ]ı [ Bid, ship, myth
]e[ Bed, dead, said
]ᴂ[ Bad, laugh, wrap
Central vowels ]ǝ[ Above, oven, support
] ᴧ[ But, blood, tough

or [u:] ]u[ move, two, you
]ʊ[ Book, put, could
Back vowels
or [ɔ:] ]ɔ[ Born, fall
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab or [ɒ ] ]ɑ[ Bob, on, coffee25
Diphthongs (two vowels)
• Combination of two sounds.
• When we produce diphthongs, our vocal organs move form one vocalic
position to another.
• Example: [a] >>> [I]) to produce the sound [aI] as in Hi or Buy.

Diphthongs, p. 35

American & English Diphthongs
• The pronunciation of some diphthongs in Southern British English is

quite different from North American English.

Subtle Individual Variation
• Variations in vowels transcription:
• You may make no distinction between the vowels in the words caught
[ɔ:] and cot [ɒ ] and use [ɒ ] in both.
• You may see the vowel sound in pet [e] represented as [ɛ] in
dictionaries rather than with as used in the course textbook.

Variations in vowels transcription: (continued)
•You may not make a significant distinction between the central vowels
"schwa" [ǝ] as in Above and the "wedge" [ᴧ] as in But. If you are trying
to transcribe, just use schwa [ǝ].
•We use “schwa” more than any other single sound.

• Variations in the physical articulation of speech sounds:
• The uvula (little grape) is used with the back of the tongue to produce
uvular sounds such as [r] as in the word rouge

•The more we focus on the subtle differences in the actual articulation

of each sound, the more likely we find ourselves describing the
pronunciation of small groups or even individual speakers.

A Phonetic Map of the Human Mouth (Vowels)
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/75224256252787275/
Dr. Nesreen Nawwab
Study this chart
Note: a copy is available in assignment # 1 & Blackboard
-This chart is from English Phonetics and Phonology by Peter Roach, 4th edition, 2009 (more examples
added by instructor).
-The vowel sound transcription must be studied from the following chart to answer any transcription
questions in assignments, quizzes, midterm and final exams.

Helpful Apps for Ch. 3 & Ch. 4

• Assignment:
Answer questions # 1-10 on p. 37.
Note: students will be asked randomly to answer the

following questions on the next lecture.

End of part 3-3
Vowels
(Chapter 3)


Ch. 3 The Sounds of Language VOWELS 3-3 Online 2nd Term 2021

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Chapter 3

The Sounds of Language

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 1

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 2

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 3

• While consonants are mostly articulated via closure or obstruction in

• Vowels are voiced (+V).

• What is the difference between vowels and consonants?

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 9

Monophthongs are Simple Vowels that are produced without moving

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 10

• Pronounce the words: heat, hit, hat, hot.

• Is there any difference in the tongue movement positions?

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 11

• To describe vowel sounds, we consider the way in which the tongue

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 12

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 13

• Vowels have four positions (spaces) inside the mouth:

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 14

• There are two criteria to describe the vowels manner of articulation:

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 15

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 17

• Let us return now to our previous question.

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 18

•Pronounce the words: heat, hit, hat, hot.

•Is there any difference in the tongue movement positions?

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 19

• In the pronunciation of heat and hit, we pronounce “high, front”

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 20

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 21

Vowel Chart (table 3.4, p. 34)

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 24

Central vowels ]ǝ[ Above, oven, support

] ᴧ[ But, blood, tough

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 27

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 28

• The pronunciation of some diphthongs in Southern British English is

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 29

• Variations in vowels transcription:

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 30

•We use “schwa” more than any other single sound.

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 31

• Variations in the physical articulation of speech sounds:

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 32

•The more we focus on the subtle differences in the actual articulation

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 33

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 35

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 36

Note: students will be asked randomly to answer the

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 37

Dr. Nesreen Nawwab 38

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