Principles of classification of English vowels

• Vowel


  A voiced sound in forming which the air issues in a continuous stream through the pharynx and mouth, there being no obstruction and no narrowing such as would cause audible friction
• Daniel Jones: '"the distinction between vowels and consonants is based on the acoustic considerations" (vowels are more sonorous than consonants)'
• Semi-vowels


  Constrictive sonorants [w, r, l, j]
• Daniel Jones: '"A vowel is defined as a voiced sound in forming which the air issues in a continuous stream through the pharynx and mouth, there being no obstruction and no narrowing such as would cause audible friction. All the other sounds are called consonants"'
• Consonant articulation


  • The muscular tension is concentrated at one point which is the place of articulation
• Vowel articulation


  • The muscular tension is spread over all the speech organs
• Principles of classification of English vowels

  • Stability of articulation
  • Position of the tongue (horizontal and vertical movement)
  • Lip position
  • Character of the end
  • Vowel length/quantity
  • Tenseness
• Monophthongs


  Vowels with a stable tongue position
• Diphthongs


  Vowels consisting of 2 elements - 1st strong, 2nd weak
• English diphthongs


  • close /iə/, /uə/
  • mid /əʊ/, /ei/
  • open /eə/, /oi/, /ai/, /au/
• Diphthongoids


  Vowels with a changing tongue position
• Horizontal tongue position


  • Front: [i:], [e], [ei], [a] , [æ]; [ɛə]
  • Front-retracted: [i] , [i (ə)]
  • Central: [ʌ] [3:] [ə] , [3(u)] , [ɛ (u)]
  • Back: [ɒ] , [o:] , [u:] , [a:]
  • Back-advanced: [u] , [u(ə)]
• Vertical tongue position


  • Close: a) narrow: [i:] [u:]; b) broad: [i] , [u] , [i (ə)] , [u (ə)]
  • Mid: a) narrow: [e], [3:], [ə], [e (i)] , [3: (u) ]; b) broad: [ǝ] , [ʌ]
  • Open: a) narrow: [ɛ (ə)] [o:], [ o (i) ]; b) broad: [æ] , [a (i, u) ] , [ɒ] , [a:]
• Lip position


  • Spread
  • Neutral
  • Rounded
• Checked vowels


  English short vowels when stressed
• Degree of checkness


  Varies and depends on the following consonant
• Vowel length/quantity


  • Short vowels: [i] , [e] , [æ] , [ɒ] , [u] . [ʌ] , [ə]
  • Long vowels: [i:] , [a:] . [o:] , [3:] , [u:]
• Tenseness


  Characterizes the state of the organs of speech at the moment of production of a vowel. Historically long vowels are tense while historically short vowels are lax
• When sounds are used in connected speech, they cannot help being influenced by one another