1. Vowels - (pure vowels, monophthongs) a vowel made without the glide; vowel sound, one whose articulation at both begginning and end is relatively fixed and which does not glideup and down towards a new position.

2. Description & classification of vowels:

/i:/ - high front long spread vowel

/I/ - mid - high front vowel

/æ/ (ash) - low front vowel

/e/ - mid - low front vowel

/3:/ - mid - central long vowel

/υ/ - mid - high back rounded vowel

/u:/ - high back long rounded vowel

/Λ/ (wedge) - mid - low central vowel

/a:/ - low back long vowel

/כ:/ - mid - low back rounded vowel

/o/ - low back rounded vowel

/ə/ (schwa) - mid - central vowel

3. Factors important while describing vowels:

• the shape of lips (rounded, spreaded)

• the position of the tongue (high/low; front/back)

• rhotacization

• the lenght of vowel (short/long)

ALL VOWELS ARE VOICED!

4. Vowel Chart

5. The system of Cardinal Vowels:

The 8 Cardinal Vowels are not real vowels. They are idealised, extreme points in the physiologically possible range of tongue movement so they can aslo be interpreted as representing a variety of real vowels, produced in the area close to their position. It is not possible to pronounce a Cardinal Vowel. They are useful for reffering to and classifying real vowels.

The difference between Cardinal Vowels and Second Cardinal Vowels is the shape of lips.

6. Diphthongs - (gliding vowel); is a contour vowel, that is a unitary vowel that changes quality during its pronounciation or „glides” with a smooth movement of the tongue from one articulation to another.

7. Falling diphtong - a diphthong composed of a vowel followed by a less sonorous glide (/oi/ - noise).

8. Rising diphthong - a diphthong in which the second element is more sonorous than the first (/wi/ - quit).

9. Centring diphthong - a diphthong that moves towards a central vowel position for its second element.

10. Closing diphthong - a diphthong which glides towards a closer sound.

11. Triphthong - is a monosyllabic vowel combination involving a quick but smooth movement of the articulator or from one vowel to another that passes over a third. (e.g. [auə] - hour)

12. Nasal vowel - a vowel that is produced with a lowering of the soft palate (velum) so that the air escapes both through nose as well as the mouth.

13. Vowel height - is named for the vertical position of the tongue relative to either the roof of the mouth or the aperture of jaw; tongue is positioned high in the mouth.

14. Vowel lenght - is the percieved duration of a vowel sound.

15. Vowel frontness - describes the position of the tongue where it is as far forward as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction.

16. Vowel backness - describes the position of the tongue where it is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction.

17. Lip rounding - the shape of your lips while pronouncing rounded vowels; lips form kind of circle like the letter „o”. (horse)

18. Lip spreading - the shape of your lips while pronouncing spreaded vowels; your lips are spread widely. (seed)

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