2.1. English Vowels

A sound that is pronounced with opened mouth, no contact between the tongue and the top of the mouth or teeth and no obstruction to the flow of air. We can use five letters of English represent the vowel sound: a, e, i, o, u.

20 vowels in total:

• 7 short vowels: /ɪ/ /ʊ/ /ə/ /e/ /ɒ/ /ʌ/ /æ/
• 5 long vowels: /iː/ /uː/ /ɑː/ /ɔː/ /ɜː/
• 8 diphthongs: /eɪ/ /aɪ//ɔɪ/ /əʊ/ /aʊ/ /ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/

2.1.2. Classification of vowels

Vowels are divided into different categories based on

1. Length of the sound
2. Position of the tongue
3. Shape of the lips

1. Length of the sound

• • Long (tense) vowels
  • Short (lax) vowels

2. Position of the tongue

• • close (high) or open (low)
    • The distance between the tongue and the top of the mouth
  • front or back
    • The part of the tongue that is raised

3. Shape of the lips

• • Rounded ( e.g. /ʊ/)
  • Neutral (e.g. /ə/)
  • Spread (e.g. /iː/)

Figure 2. 1