An introduction to vowels

By: Assist. Lect. Dalya Qays

Vowels: “Are sounds in which there is no obstruction to the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips” (Roach, 1991:10).

Vowels: “sounds are produced with a relatively free flow of air. They are typically voiced” (Yule, 2010:33).

The articulation of vowel sounds depends on some factors as mentioned below:

• The  position of the tongue is relative to the palate, e.g. closer or farther away from the palate , which provide the references  of high (ɪ,  ɫ, ʊ) , mid (e,  ə,  o), low (æ,  ɑ,  ɔ) . According to this dimension, vowels are high, indicating the tongue hump is fairly close to the palate. Mid, farther away from the palate. Or low. The position of the mandible, or lower jaw, is sometimes described relative to specific vowel productions. High vowels demonstrate a relatively closed jaw position while low vowels have a relatively low or open jaw position.

•          The anterior / posterior dimensions of the tongue, which provide the references of front (ɪ, e, æ) central (ɫ, ə, ɑ) back (ʊ, o, ɔ). For the front vowels, the most noticed feature is the heightened hump of the tongue at the front portion of the tongue. For the back vowels, the hump of the tongue is posterior, creating a narrow channel in the upper pharynx. The central vowels are characterized by a centralized positioning of the bulge of the tongue. The central vowels have a more neutral tongue position, when contracted to the front or the back vowels.

• The degree  of lip rounding or unrounding 

Unrounded or spread vowels are produced either with the muscles of the lips  quiet inactive  or neutral  or with the contraction of specific muscles that draw back the corners  of the lips  [i], [ɪ], [e], [ɛ], [æ], [ɑ], [ʌ], [ə] .

Rounded vowels are produced when the mouth opening is reduced by contraction of the muscles of the lips [u], [ʊ], [o], [ɔ] (Bauman, 2009).

   There are several ways to describe vowels. Vowels have been categorized according to the amount of muscular tension necessary to produce the vowel, the position of the body of the tongue relative to the palate, and the Length of the vowel. The following points will clarify these statements (Bauman, 2009).

            Tense-Lax

Tense vowels are those which are supposed to require considerable muscular tension on the part of the tongue; lax vowels are those in which the tongue is supposed to be held loosely. E.g.  Seat /si: t/ and sit /sit/ 

(The vowel in seat considered to be tense and the vowel in sit is lax) (Jones, 1969).

           Close-open

It means the distance of the tongue from the palate. Close vowels are produced with the highest bulge of the tongue closer to the palate as/u/ in blue, while open vowels are articulated with the bulge of the tongue farther away from the palate as /a/ in father (Bauman, 2009).

           Long-short 

Long vowels were considered to be longer in duration than short vowels. Some authors relate the concepts ‘long’ and ‘short’ to the vowel’s ability to function within the context of an open syllable. Thus within one-syllable words, only long vowels can be present in open syllables (see, new, toe), while short vowels cannot, they can only appear in closed syllables (hit, pet, put) (Bauman, 2009).                                                    

Sources 

Bauman, J. (2009). Introduction to phonetics and phonology from concepts to transcription. USA: Pearson education.

Jones, D. (1969). An outline of English phonetics. Cambridge: W.heffer & sons LTD. 

Roach, P. (1991). English phonetics and phonology: a practical guide. UK: Cambridge university press. 

Yule, G. (2010). The study of language. UK: University press Cambridge.