{"id":1207,"date":"2021-06-24T01:37:53","date_gmt":"2021-06-24T01:37:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/vowels\/"},"modified":"2023-02-03T00:02:39","modified_gmt":"2023-02-03T00:02:39","slug":"vowels","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/vowels\/","title":{"raw":"2.4 Vowels","rendered":"2.4 Vowels"},"content":{"raw":"Vowels are produced without any obstruction to the articulatory tract (Ladefoged & Maddieson, 1996). Unlike consonants which result from the contact between articulators, vowels allow for a free flow of air. Therefore, we cannot define vowels in terms of place and manner of articulation. Rather, we define vowels in terms of the shape and position of the tongue. This means that while consonants in different dialects of a language remain relatively constant, vowels can differ widely. The defining terms for vowels are [pb_glossary id=\"440\"]height[\/pb_glossary], [pb_glossary id=\"441\"]backness[\/pb_glossary] and [pb_glossary id=\"443\"]roundness[\/pb_glossary].\r\n\r\nHeight refers to the vertical position of the tongue. Try saying \u2018ee\u2019 and \u2018aa\u2019 repeatedly. You will notice your tongue moving up and down. Therefore, we say that the vowel produced in saying \u2018ee\u2019 is a high vowel and that produced in saying \u2018aa\u2019 is a low vowel. Backness is based on the tongues horizontal position and shape. This is can noticed in saying \u2018ee\u2019 and \u2018oo\u2019 where the latter makes the tongue go back. Roundness is not a property of the tongue but of the lips which you will notice in making sounds such as \u2018oo.\u2019 Table 2.6 shows you the vowels found in English.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 2.6 Vowels of Canadian English[footnote]Listen to the audio clips at https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/vowels\/[\/footnote]<\/caption>\r\n
blank<\/span><\/td>\r\nFront<\/th>\r\nCentral<\/th>\r\nBack<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Close<\/th>\r\ni\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\nblank<\/span><\/td>\r\nu\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u026a\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\nblank<\/span><\/td>\r\n\u028a\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Mid<\/th>\r\ne\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n(\u025c)\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\no\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u025b\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n\u0259\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n(\u0254)\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
Open<\/th>\r\nblank<\/span><\/td>\r\nblank<\/span><\/td>\r\n\u0251\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\u00e6\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n\u028c\r\n\r\n[audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\nblank<\/span><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\nSome languages such as French and Hindi also have nasalized vowel. Consider beau<\/em> \/bo\/ \u2018beautiful\u2019 and bon<\/em> \/b\u0254\u0303\/ \u2018good\u2019 in French being minimal pairs in terms of nasalization of the vowel. When two vowels are combined within a syllable, they form [pb_glossary id=\"445\"]diphthongs[\/pb_glossary]. These can be seen in words such as cow<\/em> \/ka\u028a\/, pie<\/em> \/pa\u026a\/, and boy<\/em> \/b\u0254\u026a\/.\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 2.7 [pb_glossary id=\"467\"]Monophthongs[\/pb_glossary][footnote]Listen to the audio clips at https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/vowels\/[\/footnote]<\/caption>\r\n
IPA Symbol<\/th>\r\nName<\/th>\r\nExample<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u00e6\/<\/td>\r\nNear-open front unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\ntra<\/strong>p [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u0251\/<\/td>\r\nOpen back unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\nlo<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u0254\/ \/\u0251\/<\/td>\r\nOpen-mid back rounded vowel<\/td>\r\ncau<\/strong>ght [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u026a\/<\/td>\r\nNear-close front unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\nbi<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/i\/<\/td>\r\nClose front unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\ngee<\/strong>se [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u0258\/<\/td>\r\nClose-mid central unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\na<\/strong>bout [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u028c\/<\/td>\r\nOpen-mid back unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\ngu<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u025b\/<\/td>\r\nOpen-mid front unrounded vowel<\/td>\r\nbe<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u028a\/<\/td>\r\nNear-close near-back rounded vowel<\/td>\r\nfoo<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/u\/<\/td>\r\nClose back rounded vowel<\/td>\r\nmoo<\/strong>se [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Table 2.8 Diphthongs[footnote]Listen to the audio clips at https:\/\/opentextbc.ca\/psyclanguage\/chapter\/vowels\/[\/footnote]<\/caption>\r\n
IPA Symbol<\/th>\r\nExample<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/e\u026a\/<\/td>\r\nfa<\/strong>ce [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/o\u028a\/<\/td>\r\ngoa<\/strong>t [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/a\u026a\/<\/td>\r\nni<\/strong>ce [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/\u0254\u026a\/<\/td>\r\nchoi<\/strong>ce [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n
\/a\u028a\/<\/td>\r\nsou<\/strong>th [audio<\/a>]<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n
\r\n\r\nWatch the video Diphthongs (3 minutes)<\/a>.\r\n\r\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/umGCxoaCJns\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\nTable 2.7 and Table 2.8 show us the vowels found in most varieties of Canadian English with examples. While consonants tend to be similar across dialects, vowels can vary greatly between dialects and countries. Therefore, you will find that the English spoken in the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand will have very different vowels when producing the same words.\r\n

Media Attributions<\/h3>\r\n