Phonemes-Vowels

 

.     VOWEL SOUNDS:

In English language, we are informed that five letters - a, e, i, o, and u are vowels but we must understand the vowel is not a term related to letters rather it is related to sound. Vowel is not related to writing. It is related to the production of sound. we all have a confusion regarding this. Vowel is a category of speech sounds not of alphabet.

In phonetic terms ‘a vowel' is a sound which is produced without an obstruction in the pharynx and the mouth. When we speak vowels, air comes out freely through mouth and there is no closure or narrowing of passage. 

TYPES OF VOWEL SOUNDS

There are twenty (20) vowels in English Language. All the vowels are divided into two categories-

A. Pure Vowels

B. Diphthongs

 

A. Pure Vowels: 

When the quality of sound doesn’t change it is called the pure vowel sounds. Pure vowel sounds are 12 in number. The list of pure vowels with examples in words is given below-  

 

 PURE VOWEL SOUNDS (PHONEMES) WITH EXAMPLES

/ɪ/ as in ship, hit

/ʊ/ as in book, could

/e/ as in egg, bed

/æ/ as in cat, black

/ʌ/ as in cup, luck

/ɒ/ as in hot, rock

/ə/ as in father, cinema, away

/i:/ as in sheep, please

/u:/ as in boot, food

/ɜ:/ as in learn, turn

/ɔ:/ as in door, four

 /ɑ:/ as in car, father, arm,    

These Pure vowel sounds are also divided in to various basis-

1.     According to the duration of the sound, they can be 

a) Short Vowel Sounds (/ɪ/, /e/, /æ/, /ɒ/, /ʊ/, /ʌ/, /ə/): When they are produced for a shorter duration. For examples:

 /ɪ/ as in ship, hit 

/ʊ/ as in book, could  

/e/ as in egg, bed 

/æ/ as in cat, black

/ʌ/ as in cup, luck

/ɒ/ as in hot, rock

/ə/ as in father, cinema

 

b) Long vowels (/i:/, /u:/, /ɑ:/, /ɔ:/, /ɜ:/): when they are produced for a longer duration. For examples-

i:/ as in sheep, please 

/u:/ as in boot, food

/ɜ:/ as in learn, turn

/ɔ:/ as in door, four 

/ɑ:/ as in car, father

 2. Vowels sounds can also be divided on the basis of articulators: The quality of vowels depends on the positions of the tongue and lips. It is important to classify them according to the position of the parts of the tongue, lip and mouth.

2.1 According to the horizontal position of the tongue vowel sounds (phonemes) can be-

a) Front vowels (/i:/, /i/, /e/): The front part of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate.

b) Back vowels (/u/, /u:/, /o/, ): The back of the tongue is raised in the direction of the soft palate.

c) Central vowels (/ɛ/ /ə/, /ʌ/): the tongue is raised between hard and soft palate.

2.2.     According to the vertical position of the mouth vowel sounds (phonemes) can be-

a) High vowels: The mouth is relatively closed

b) Mid vowels: the mouth is half way open.

c) Low vowels: The mouth is open.

2.3.     According to the lip position vowel sounds (phonemes) can be

a) Round vowels (/i/, /i:/, /u/): corners of the lips are come towards each other and the lips are pushed forwards.

b) Spread vowels: Lips are moved away from each other (as when we smiled)

c) Neutral vowels: The position of the lips is normal. They are neither apart nor projected.

 

B. Diphthongs (Phonemes)

 When there is a gliding movement from one vowel to another then the vowel sounds are called diphthongs. Hence, Diphthongs means two vowel sounds spoken together. Diphthongs are 8 in number. The list of diphthongs with examples in words is given below-

 

Diphthongs with examples