The english vowel system
Vowel /|/ is a speech sound in the production of which there is no obstruction to the airflow as it passes from the larynx to the lips. The vocal cords in the production of vowels are always in a raised position. Vowels are almost always found at the centre of a syllable, being able of forming a syllable alone. There are twenty vowels in English: 12 monophthongs (2 diphthongoids among them) and 8 diphthongs.
Monophthong /|/ is a vowel in the production of which there is no any noticeable change.
Diphthong /|/ is a sound, which changes its quality in the course of its production, i.e. it consists of the movement, or glide from one vowel to another. The first element of a diphthong which remains constant and does not glide is called the nucleus. The nucleus of the diphthong is much longer and stronger than the glide.
Diphthongoid /|/ is a vowel sound in the articulation of which the organs of speech slightly change their position. In English such diphthongized vowels are // and // when they occur in open syllables and before lenis or nasal consonants. In allophonic transcription they can be represented as // and //.
The English monophthongs are classified according to:
(1) the horizontal movement of the tongue:
(a) front (monophthongs , , and the diphthongs /, , , /). The front vowels are produced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth while the front of the tongue is raised to the hard palate.
(b) front-retracted (monophthong // and the diphthongs //). The Front-retracted vowels are produced with the bulk of the tongue in the front part of the mouth being somewhat retracted, while the front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate.
(c) mixed, or central (monophthongs /,,/). The central vowels are produced with the central part of the tongue raised as in // or // which are neither front like // or // or back like // // //). The phoneme //, which is described as both central and mid, is usually named schwa.
(d) back-advanced (monophthong // and the diphthongs /, /),
(e) back (monophthongs / , / and the diphthong //). The back vowels are formed with the bulk of the tongue in the back part of the mouth cavity, when it is raised towards the junction between the hard and soft parts of the palate; back vowels are // and the nuclei of the diphthongs /, /, though the diphthong // is not included into the normative course of phonetics yet, since it is regarded as an unstable diphthong from the point of view of the vowels forming it. For example, once it occurred in the words door, floor pronounced as /d/, /fl/ [Barber]. In present-day English pronunciation it is registered in the words poor, sure pronounced as /p/, //.
(2) the vertical movement of the tongue:
(a) close (high): narrow /: : /
broad / /
A vowel in the production of which the tongue is raised as close to the roof of the mouth as is possible is called close, or high. Close vowels (or high vowels) may be front (when the front of the tongue is raised), these are unrounded /, /; they may be back (when the back of the tongue is raised), these are rounded /, /. Besides the close position of the tongue has two variations: narrow and broad. For instance, the vowels /, / are both front and close (or high) but in the production of // the front part of the tongue is raised a little higher than in the production of //; for this reason the vowel // is defined as front, close (high) and narrow, while the vowel // is characterised as front, close (high) and broad.
(b) mid: narrow / : /
broad / /
In the production of mid, or half-open vowels the tongue occupies a slightly lower position than in the articulation of high, or close vowels/:, :, , /.
(c) open, or low: narrow /:/
broad / : /.
In the production of open, or low vowels the tongue occupies the lowest position in the mouth and the jaw is lowered, e.g. the phoneme // is characterised as front and open (or low).
(3) the lip position:
(a) rounded / , /. In the production of rounded vowels the lips are slightly rounded and protruded.
(b) unrounded , , , , ,, /. The unrounded vowels are the ones pronounced with flat articulation.
(4) the degree of articulatory organs muscular tension:
(a) tense (all long vowels:, , ). Tense vowels are the sounds that are articulated with a comparatively greater amount of energy. The long vowels and diphthongs are regarded as tense;
(b) lax (all short vowels /, , , , , /). Lax vowels are pronounced with relatively little articulatory energy. The short vowels are classed as lax.
(5) the force of articulation at the end of a vowel:
(a) free (long monophthongs, diphthongs in open syllables and unstressed short vowels are classified as free vowels. They are pronounced in an open syllable with a weakening in the force of articulation towards the end.
(b) checked (historically short vowels under stress). These are the vowels in the articulation of which there is no weakening of the force of articulation. They are pronounced abruptly at the end, immediately followed by a consonant that checks them. English historically short vowels under stress are called checked vowels and the syllabic boundary never occurs after them.
(6) the stability of articulation:
(a) monophthongs (/, , , ,, , /);
(b) diphthongoids (/, /);
(c) diphthongs (/, , , , );
(7) the length of a vowel:
(a) historically short vowels (/, , , , , /);
(b) historically long vowels (/, , ,, /) are opposed to the short ones because of their greater duration as, for instance, the phonemes / , / are in contrast with the following short phonemes /, , , , , /.
The English diphthongs are classified according to:
1) the glide, i.e. a non-significant sound produced by the passing of the vocal organs to or from the articulatory position of a speech sound. In the case of diphthongs the glide is comparatively slow (a more or less gradual glide from one quality to another is their essential part):
(a) ending in // (e),
(b) ending in // (, , )
(c) ending in // (, ).
2) the nucleus, i.e. the first element of a diphthong which remains constant and does not glide:
(a) falling when the nucleus is stronger than the glide,
(b) rising when the glide is stronger than the nucleus.
(c) level when both elements are equal
3) the articutatory character of the second element:
(a) closing /, , , , /;
(b) centring /e/.
The classification of the English diphthongs is presented in the following chart.
Fig. 3. The chart of English diphthongs
THE CHART OF ENGLISH VOWELS
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A the height of the tongue According to the position of the bulk of the tongue |
FRONT |
CENTRAL |
BACK |
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Fully front |
Front retracted |
Back advanced |
Fully back |
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HIGH (close) |
Narrow |
: |
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: |
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Broad |
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, |
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, |
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MID (half-open) |
Narrow |
, |
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: |
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Broad |
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LOW (open) |
Narrow |
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:, |
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Broad |
, , |
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: |
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In English there are also some complex sounds known as triphthongs consisting of two syllables, they are: /, , ; , / as in mayor /|m – /, fire /|f – /, hour /| – /, etc.