The Great Vowel Shift

• Overview: 


  • Observations made by Otto Jespersen
  • between 15th - 18th century
  • Sound changes affected pronunciation of long vowels in English
  • Long vowels shifted upwards
  • Vowels pronounced higher up in mouth
  • Long process due to conservative speakers retaining their pronunciations
  • Younger speakers tended to move towards newer pronunciations

  e.g. 'Route'

  >"ro-ot" // "rOUT"