LESSON 4: ENGLISH VOWELS & DIPHTHONGS

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LESSON 4: ENGLISH VOWELS & DIPHTHONGS

Glossary:
aperture
: độ mở
back
: sau
back vowel
: nguyên âm sau
canonical
: hợp nguyên tắc/tiêu chuẩn
central
: giữa
central vowel
: nguyên âm giữa
classification of vowels
: sự phân loại nguyên  âm
closing
: (nguyên âm) khép, đóng
diphthong
: nguyên âm đôi, nhị trùng âm
distinction
: sự phân biệt
English vowel charts
: bảng nguyên âm tiếng Anh
falling
: (nguyên âm) giáng, hạ
front
: trước
front vowel
: nguyên âm trước
high
: (nguyên âm) cao
illustration
: sự minh hoạ, cái minh hoạ
lax
: nới, nhẹ, chùng
lax vowel
: nguyên âm nhẹ, nguyên âm chùng
lip rounding
: sự chúm môi, tròn môi
low
: (nguyên âm) thấp
mid
: (nguyên âm) trung
obstruction
: sự cản trở
openning
: (nguyên âm) mở
pronounce
: phát âm
pure vowel
: nguyên âm thuần tuý
relative
: tương đối
roof of the mouth
: vòm miệng
rounded
: (nguyên âm) chúm môi
syllable
: âm tiết
tense
: (nguyên âm) căng, cao giọng
tenseness of the articulators
: độ căng của cơ  quan phát âm
tongue backness
: độ lùi về sau của lưỡi
tongue height
: độ cao của lưỡi
unrounded
: (nguyên âm) không chúm môi
vowel
: nguyên âm
vowel length
: độ dài của nguyên  âm 
  
     In the last lesson, you were introduced to the classification of consonant sounds. The classification of consonants were shown to be based on three aspects of articulation: place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing. In this lesson, you will be introduced to vowel sounds and diphthongs.
English vowels
 
     Vowels are the class of sound which makes the least obstruction to the flow of air. They are almost always found at the centre of a syllable, and it is rare to find any sound other than a vowel which is able to stand alone as a whole syllable.
Classification of vowels
 
     The classification of vowels is based on five major aspects: tongue height, tongue backness, lip rounding, vowel length and the tenseness of the articulators.

Tongue Height     

Vowels are classified in terms of how much space there is between the tongue and the roof of the mouth, which is determined by the height of the tongue.    
There are three primary height distinctions among vowels: high, low, and mid.
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/w
/e/
/æ/
 
     In English, examples of high vowels are /w/, /i:/, //, /u:/. These are vowels with a relatively narrow space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Examples of low vowels are /æ/, /Y:/, /Z/, /]:/. These are vowels with a relatively wide space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth. Examples of mid vowels are /e/, /∂/, /f:/, /ž/. These are vowels whose tongue positions are roughly between the high and low vowels.    
These classifications are quite relative, as different languages have different canonical tongue heights for different classifications.    
As you can see from the above diagrams, the tongue height of the high vowel /w/ is much higher than that for the low vowel /æ/, while the tongue height for the mid vowel /e/ lies somewhere in between the two.

Tongue Backness     

The second aspect of vowel classification that you will be introduced to is that of tongue backness. Vowels are classified in terms of how far the raised body of the tongue is from the back of the mouth, which is called the backness of the tongue.    
There are three primary height distinctions among vowels: front, back, and central.    
In English, examples of front vowels are /w/, /i:/, /e/, /æ/. These vowels are articulated relatively forward in the mouth. Examples of back vowels are //, /u:/, /Y:/, /Z/, /]:/. These vowels are articulated relatively far back in the mouth.. Examples of central vowels are /∂/, /f:/, /ž/. These are vowels whose tongue positions are roughly between the front and back vowels.    
These classifications, like the tongue heights, are quite relative, as different languages have different canonical tongue backnesses for different classifications.    
As illustration of tongue backness, observe the following diagrams for the vowels /w/, /u:/.  
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/i:/
/u:/
 
     As you can see from the diagrams, the articulation of the front vowel /i:/ is much farther forward than that for the back vowel /u:/.

Lip Rounding     

Another aspect of vowel classification is the presence or absence of lip rounding. Some vowels, such as the vowels /u:/ and /]:/, are formed with a high degree of lip rounding. Such vowels are called rounded vowels. Some vowels, such as /i:/ and /e/, are formed without such rounding, and are called unrounded vowels.

Vowel Length     

Vowel length is the length of time it takes to pronounce the vowel. We can measure this length in centiseconds - hundredths of a second.
  • Short English vowels: /w/, //, /æ/, /Z/, /e/, /∂/, /ž/
  • Long English vowels: /i:/, /u:/, /Y:/, /]:/, /f:/
 
     Some languages, like English, vary the lengths of their vowels according to certain rules. Below you can see the typical or average length of some of the vowels in English.    
As we will see, there is not a clear-cut long/short distinction. Typically, each vowel has its own length, with for instance /æ/ holding a half-way position between lax and tense vowels. Also, lengths of different vowels overlap in different contexts: looking at /i:/ and /w/ we found the following situation. The lengths are given in centiseconds.

Tense vs. Lax     

Another aspect of vowel classification is commonly characterized in terms of the tenseness or laxness of the articulators. Some vowels, such as the vowels /i:/ and /e/, are formed with a high degree of tenseness. Such vowels are called tense vowels. Some vowels, such as /∂/ and /ž/, are formed without a high degree of tenseness, and are called lax vowels.    
The general rule is:
  • lax vowels (/w/, //, /æ/, /Z/, /e/, /∂/, /ž/) are short.
  • tense (/i:/, /u:/, /Y:/, /]:/, /f:/) vowels (including diphthongs: /ew/, /aw/, /]w/, /∂/,/a/, /w∂/, /∂/, /ε ∂/) are variable in length, and often longer than lax vowels.
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English vowel charts

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(Source: University of Stirling, Centre for English Language Teaching)  
Descriptions of the English simple (“pure”) vowels

English front vowels     

There are four front vowel phonemes in English: /w/, /i:/, /e/, /æ/
Sound
Description
Distribution
Spelling
/i:/






   
front, close (high), long, tense, unrounded




 
initial, medial and final: east, dean, sea






   
e: economy, remark
ee: eel, see, feet,
ea: each, seal, plea
ie: fiend
ei: seizing
i: machine
ey: key
ay: quay
eo: people
oe: Oedipus
eau: Beauchamp
/w/




 
more retracted, front, short, lax, unrounded



 
initial, medial and final: ink,
kill, aptly




 
i: ill, tick
y: syntax, party
u: minute
a: private
o: women
ay: Friday (a reduced unstressed vowel)
/e/

 
front, short, lax, unrounded


 
initial or medial: end, tell


 
e: elf, fell
ea: lead (n. = plumb), head or bread
a: ate (the past tense of eat), many, any, Thames or Pall Mall
/æ/
 
lowest, front, short, lax, unrounded
initial or medial: ant, cat
a: act, fat
ai: plait, plaid

English central vowels     

There are three central vowel phonemes in English: /ž/, /∂/, /f:/
/ž/



 
a central halfopen, short, lax, unrounded vowel


 
word-initial and medial position: utter, subtle. It
never occurs in word or syllablefinal position.
u: under, but
o: come, front, honey
ou: courage, southern, rough, tough
oo: blood, flood
oe: does
/∂/    





 

a central, mid, lax, unrounded vowel


 



 

freely occurring in all basic
positions, but only in
unstressed syllables: aside, collide, rather


 

The reduced form of any simple vowel or even diphthong (see fatality, above) in English and can consequently be rendered in writing by any vowel letter with the
exception of y which only represents the semivowel j or the vowel i.
/f:/




 
central, mid, long, tense central vowel

in all three basic positions, very often in monosyllabic words: err, first, curtain, fur, refer
ir: bird
ur: burn
er: fern
yr: myrtle
ear: learn
our: journey, journal, scourge

English back vowels     

There are five back vowel phonemes in standard English: //, /u:/, /Y:/, /Z/, /]:/
/Y:/







 
a more advanced, low, long, tense, unrounded vowel






 
initial, medial and final: are, cart, far







 

ar: jar, carpet
al: palm, calm, balm
af (ff): after, staff
ass: pass, class
ath: path, bath
as or an followed by another consonant: past, demand
Exceptionally, other letters: aunt, Berkeley, hearth, father, sergeant, memoir , barrage
/Z/


 
short, lax, open and slightly rounded

 
initial or medial: on, pot
o: hot, lot
ou: cough
a: want
au: laurel
/]:/



   
a long, tense vowel, more rounded than /Z/. It is the degree of aperture being between open and half-open.
initial, medial and final: awful, caught, flaw




 

aw: awl, drawn, thaw
au: August, taught
or: for, sore, port
oor: floor, door
oa: board, broad, coarse, hoard
ough: (n)ought, sought, wrought
ou: course, source
a: water, wrath
//






 

short, lax, rounded vowel which is considerably closer than /]:/, its degree of aperture being a little bit higher than the cardinal half-close.
Being restricted to medial position; never occurring in initial position and only exceptionally in final position.

 

u: push, cushion, pull, put
o: wolf, Worcester
oo: look, book, foot
ou: would, could, should



 

/u:/



 

the highest back vowel of English. It is a long, tense, rounded vowel.

initial, medial and final: oom, oomph, ooze, ugh, uhlan; rude, baboon, crew, chew, tatoo
u: rule, music, mutiny, deluge
ui: suit, fruit
o: to, who, ado
oo: root, taboo
ou: route, through, routine, douche
oe: shoe, canoe, manoeuvre
eau: beauty
eu: feu

English Diphthongs
Classification of diphthongs
 
     Diphthongs are described as sequences of two vowels pronounced together, the two vocalic elements being members of the same syllable. The most important feature of a diphthong is that it contains a glide from one vowel quality to another one. According to the position of the more prominent element in the diphthong we can divide diphthongs into falling diphthongs – if the prominent element comes first – and rising diphthongs – if the less prominent element comes first. All English diphthongs belong to the first category. Diphthongs can then be opening if the degree of aperture increases with the glide or closing if the less prominent vowel is closer than the first. We can also differentiate between wide diphthongs – those in which the glide implies a more radical movement of the speech organs and narrow diphthongs – if the two vocalic elements occupy neighbouring positions on the vowel chart. There are also centring diphthongs – if the glide is from a marginal vowel in the vowel chart – either back or front - to a central vowel. To make it simple, we can say that there are three diphthongs ending in /w/ (/ew/, /aw/, /]w/), two ending in /∂/ (/w/, /∂/, /ε∂/) and three ending in // (/∂/, /a/).     
The easiest way to remember them is in terms of three groups divided as in this diagram:
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The descriptions of English diphthongs

The centring diphthongs: /w∂/, /*/, /**/
Sound 
Description
Distribution
Spelling
/ε∂/





 
a centring, falling, narrow, in most cases opening diphthong 
initial, medial and final: air, scarce, fare
 
air: air, fair, chair, dairy, fairy
are: fare, mare, care, care
ear: bear, wear, tear (v.)
aer: aerial, aeroplane
ere: there
eir: their, heir
ay: prayer, layer, mayor
/∂/

 
a centring, falling, narrow, opening diphthong
only in word medial: jewel or word-final position: sure
ure: endure, mature, cure, pure
oor: poor, moor
ou: gourd, bourse
/w∂/








 
a centring, falling, narrow, opening diphthong



 
initial, medial and final: ear, deer, tier







 
eer: deer, peer
b: ear, weary, idea, tear, beard
eir: weird
ier: fierce, pierce
ere: here, mere
ia: media(l), labia(l), genial
eu: museum
iu: delirium
eo: theory, theology
e: hero, serious, serial

The diphthongs to /w/: /ew/, /aw/, /]w/
/aw/






 
a falling, wide, closing diphthong





 
initial, medial and final: isle, bite, cry





 
i: ice, dime, loci
y: dyke, fly
ie: die, lie, pie
ye: dye, fye
ei: height, either, neither
uy: in buy, guy
Note also the pronunciation of ay(e) //, eye // and aisle /aıl/.
/]w/

 

a falling, wide, closing diphthong
initial, medial and final: ointment, boil, toy
oi: oil, toil
oy: oyster, Boyle, coy
/ew/







 

a falling, narrow, closing diphthong







 

initial, medial and final: eight, plate, play



 
a: ace, lace
ai: aid, maid
ay: aye, clay
ei: eight, reign
ey: they, grey,
ea: break, steak
et or é: ballet, bouquet, chalet, café, fiancé, attaché, resumé
Exceptionally, there are spellings like gaol, bass, gauge, halfpenny .

The diphthongs to //: /*/, /a/
/∂/








 
a falling, narrow, closing diphthong







 
initial, medial and final: old, gold, flow







 
o: old, sold, no
oa: oak, roast
oe: toe
ow: own, known, row
ou: poultry, dough
eau: beau, bureau
au: gauche
oo: brooch
ew: sew
oh: oh
/a/

 
a falling, wide, closing diphthong
 
initial, medial and final: ouch, loud, bough
ou: oust, doubt, plough
ow: owl, howl, how
eo: MacLeod

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