A vowel is a sound that needs an open air passage in the mouth. The air passage can be modified in terms of shape with different mouth and tongue shapes producing different vowels. A consonant is formed when the air stream is restricted or stopped at some poins between the vocal cords and the lips
upper teeth upper teeth nose nose upper lip upper lip lower lip lower lip lower teeth lower teeth alveolar ridge alveolar ridge hard palate hard palate tounge tounge soft palate (velum) soft palate (velum) pharynx pharynx larynx larynx The main organs of Speech vocal cords vocal cords Sounds can be divided into two main types: - A vowel is a sound that needs an open air passage in the mouth. The air passage can be modified in terms of shape with different mouth and tongue shapes producing different vowels. - A consonant is formed when the air stream is restricted or stopped at some poins between the vocal cords and the lips Example: “sit”- the central sound in the word “sit” is a vowel. The first and the third sound are consonants. VOWELS AND CONSONANTS I. VOWELS Vowels are divided into three types: 1. Monothongs (Short & long vowels) 2. Diphthongs - 3. Triphthongs 1. Monothongs: Short vowels: The symbol of short vowels are: / i e æ Λ D υ ∂ / They can be described as follows: Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open /I/ /I/ is a half-close, short, front vowel made with spread lips. Example words: sit fish bit city Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open /e/ /e/ is a short, front vowel produced with spread lips Example words: egg bet men get /e/ does not occur in word-final position in English Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open /æ/ /æ / is a short, front open vowel. It is made with the lips in a neutrally open position Example words: man add fat thank Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open / Λ / / Λ / is a short, open, centralised vowel. Example words: up son but funny /Λ/ does not occur in word-final position [...]... All unstressed English vowels tend to be realised as /∂/ 2 Long vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs: 2.1 Long vowels: The symbol of long vowels are: i: 3: a: :c :c / u: / They can be described as follows: Front Close Close - mid Open - mid Open Centre i: Back /i:/ is a close, long, front vowel made with spread lips Example words: eat see free read Front Centre Close Back /3:/ is a long, central vowel... out house 2.3 Triphthongs A triphthong is a glide from one vowel to another and then to a third, all produced rapidly and without interruption 2.3 Triphthongs The triphthongs compose of five closing diphthongs with /∂/ added on the end: + + + + + ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ ∂ = = = = = /ei∂/ /ai∂/ / i∂/ /ou∂/ /au∂/ c c ei ai i ou au (layer, player) (liar, fire) (loyal, royal) (lower, mower) (power, hour) c c II CONSONANTS. .. with liprounding Example words: too food soon 2.2 Diphthongs The total number of diphthongs is eight They are divided into three groups as this diagram: Diphthongs centring /I∂/ /e∂/ /υ∂/ ending in /υ/ ending in /I/ /ei/ /ai/ / i/ c c ending in /∂/ closing /oυ/ /aυ/ The centring diphthongs glide towards the /∂/ (schwa) vowel as the symbols indicate: Centring diphthongs /I∂/ /I∂/: The starting point is... beer Centring diphthongs /e∂/: This diphthong begins with the same vowel sound as the /e/ of “get”, “men” /e∂/ Example words: air hair there Centring diphthongs /υ∂/ /υ∂/: This has a starting point slightly closer than /υ/ in “put”, “pull” Example words: tour sure moor Closing diphthongs /ei/ /ei/: The starting point is the same as the /e/ of “get”, “men” Example words: paid face day Closing diphthongs. .. time nice high Closing diphthongs / i/ : The first part of this diphthong has the same quality as in “ought”, “born” c c /:c/ /:c/ / i/ Example words: void voice boy c c Closing diphthongs /oυ/ /oυ/: It starts near the centre of the mouth in British English and moves toward /υ/ It’s narrower and is pronounced with more lip-rounding in US English Example words: known go home Closing diphthongs /aυ/: This... /a:/ is a long, open, back vowel made with slightly rounded lips Close - mid Open - mid Example words: /a:/ Open art far /a:/ does not occur in US English calm card Front Centre Back Close is a long, half-open, back vowel pronounced with lip-rounding /:c/ /:c/ Close - mid Open /:c/ /:c/ Open - mid Example words: board all horse Front Close Close - mid Open - mid Open Centre Back /u:/ /u:/ is a long, close,... /au∂/ c c ei ai i ou au (layer, player) (liar, fire) (loyal, royal) (lower, mower) (power, hour) c c II CONSONANTS Manners of Articulations: 1 Plosives 2 Fricatives 3 Affricates 4 Nasals 5 Laterals 6 Semi -vowels 7 Frictionless continuants The common places of articulations: - The labial or bilabial: Where the lips come together - The dental: Where the tip or the blade of the tongue comes in contact with... against the area where the hard palate begins 1 Plosives Plosives: Complete closure of the oral cavity The oral cavity stops because the nasal cavity is closed as well (there is no airflow through the nose) . “sit - the central sound in the word “sit” is a vowel. The first and the third sound are consonants. VOWELS AND CONSONANTS I. VOWELS Vowels are divided into three types: 1. Monothongs (Short &. Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open is a long, half-open, back vowel pronounced with lip-rounding Example words: board all horse / / :c/ :c/ / / :c/ :c/ Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open . Back Close Close - mid Open - mid Open / Λ / / Λ / is a short, open, centralised vowel. Example words: up son but funny /Λ/ does not occur in word-final position Front Centre Back Close Close - mid Open -