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Classification of Vowels
Traditional ClassificationChapter 4
Outline
Discuss the traditional classification of vowels:
Identify phonetic symbols for front, central and back vowels.
Describe vowels according to the traditional classification.
Production of Vowels
Vowels are produced in essentially the same manner and voicing. Produced with oral resonance All are voiced
Identification of a vowel is a result of the shaping of the oral cavity. Tongue movement Jaw opening/closing Lip rounding & tenseness
Traditional Vowel Classification
Tongue Movement
Tension
Lip Rounding
Tongue Movement
Tongue Height*Vertical movement
High Vowels: tongue at highest position
Mid Vowels: tongue at mid position
Low Vowels: tongue at lowest position
Tongue Movement
Tongue Advancement*Horizontal movement
Front Vowels: tongue in front; most of resonating cavity in back of mouth
Central Vowels: half of resonating cavity in front and half in back
Back Vowels: tongue in back; resonating cavity in front of mouth
Tongue Height + Tongue Advancement
= 9 Positions
ADVANCEMENT HEIGHT VOWELS
Front High /i, I/
Front Mid /e, ɛ/
Front Low /æ/
Central High none
Central Mid /ə, ʌ, ɚ, ɝ/
Central Low none
Back High /u, Ʊ/
Back Mid /o, ɔ/
Back Low /ɑ/
Tension
Tense Vowels: increased muscular tension in the tongue
Lax Vowels: opposite of tense; decreased muscular tension
Neutral Vowels: tongue usually in rest position
Lip-Rounding
Rounded Lips Back vowels
Unround/retracted Lips Front vowels
Neutral Central vowels
Vowel Quadralateral (chart)
Front Vowel: /i/
Description: Front, high, tense, unround Sometimes changed to /I/
Hear /hir/ /hIr/
Sounds like: Eat, leave, money
Front Vowel: /I/
Description: Front, high, lax, unround
Sounds like: In, mitt
Front Vowel: /e/
Description: Front, mid, tense, unround
When elongated = diphthong /eI/Occurs more often
Sounds like: Operate, vacation
Front Vowel: /ɛ/
Description: Front, mid, lax, unround
Sounds like: End, head
Front Vowel: /æ/
Description: Front, low, lax, unround
Sounds like: Add, cat
Central Vowels
The central vowels are more difficult to teach because there is a lot of variation in central tongue positioning.
Central Vowel: /ʌ/
Description: Central, mid, tense, neutral lip rounding Occurs in stressed syllables only
Referred to as: “caret”
Sounds like: Under, tub
Central Vowel: /ə/
Description: Central, mid, lax, neutral lip rounding Occurs in unstressed syllables
Referred to as: “shwa”
Sounds like: Away, elephant, arena
Central Vowel: /ɝ/
Description: Central, mid, tense, rounded Occurs in stressed syllables only Duration is longer and more tense as
compared to /ɚ/
Sounds like: Earth, learn, her
Central Vowel: /ɚ/
Description: Central, mid, lax, neutral lip rounding Occurs in unstressed syllables Most often in final position of words
Referred to as: “shwar”
Sounds like: Understand, mother
Rhotic Vowels /ɝ, ɚ/
Rhotacized: refers to positioning or influence of /r/ Often misarticulated Both have retroflex Tongue-tip is curled or pulled back Tongue is arched in middle
Rhotic /ɝ,ɚ/ vs /r/
RHOTIC /ɝ,ɚ/ Greater duration Constitutes a syllable Tongue movement
toward, rather than away from the consonant /r/ position
It is never voiceless following voiceless consonants, as /r/ may be
/r/ CONSONANT Shorter duration Never constitutes a
syllable Tongue movement is
away from /r/ position
Back Vowel: /u/
Description: Back, high, tense, round
Sounds like: Oops, fruit, tu
Back Vowel: /Ʊ/
Description: Back, high, lax, round Only occurs in medial positions of
words Lips are not as round as /u/
Sounds like: Cook, would
Back Vowel: /O/
Description: Back, mid, tense, round
When elongated = diphthong /oƱ/
Occurs more often
Sounds like: Obey, nobility
Back Vowel: /ɔ/
Description: Back, mid, lax, round More prominent in Northeastern dialects;
not common in Southern dialects Frequently collapsed to /ɑ/ in Southern
dialects
Sounds like: Off, talk, jaw
Back Vowel: /ɑ/
Description: Back, low, lax, round Very little rounding
Sounds like: On, stop
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