1. English Vowel System

2. In English there are 12 different vowel sounds Vowels are made by changing the position of the lips, tongue and palate. There are voiced and voiceless vowels.

3. Long vowel. The lips are slightly spread. It is found in the tonic Castilian /i accompanied by dental or palatal consonants ee: street, cheese ea: read, easy ie: field eo: people e: be

4. The front of the tongue is raised towards the palate. The position of the whole tongue is high in the mouth making it a close vowel. rich, think, lady, tiny

5. It is approximate to Castilian production. It is usually more closed and tenser that the English equivalent. ea: dead e: tell a: many

6. In Castilian there is not a similar vowel. To get an approach would be to pronounce /e/ with a much a bigger separation between the jaws. /ae/ bad man mass /e/ bed men mess

7. It is a long vowel. There is no similar vowel in Castilian. a: car al: half au: aunt

8. The organs of articulation maintain positions to those of /a:/ the lips are lightly for /o/. o: box a: what au: because ou: cough

9. It is different on quantity. o: horse a: all ou: bought oo: door

10. The tongue and jaw are raised as the back of the tongue is used to articulate this vowel. The lips are rounded put, good, would, should

11. It is more closed and tenser than the Spanish u. The lips are only moderately round. oo: spoon ou: soup u: June

12. It is a central vowel. The lips are not rounded. You begin to say a Spanish e and then little by little you approximate to say o. turn, first, bird

13. It is called schwa and is an unstressed central vowel. There is no similar sound in Spanish. We assimilate it like e. When it is not final, we have to an a. again, support, condition

14. This is the central vowel and is more open than mid-ranged. This sound seems to be more approximate to the Spanish a. The lip position is neutral one But, love, blood, young