Vowel sounds are classified in terms of: Tongue height Tongue backness Lip rounding Tenseness

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 (close), low (open), and mid.

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.

ACCORDING TO TONGUE HEIGHT AND TONGUE BACKNESS VOWELS CAN BE CLASSIFIED INTO:

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

This diagram displays the two extreme lip postures and two intermediate lip postures. The high front cardinal vowel [i] has a very spread lip posture. The high back cardinal vowel [u] has a very tightly rounded lip posture. The low front cardinal vowel [a] has a spread lip posture but this is a more neutral posture than for [i] because the lower jaw position for this vowel causes the lips to be more open. The half-open back cardinal vowel [ ɔ ] has a rounded lip posture but the lips are more open then for [u] because of the lower jaw position.

Another aspect of vowel classification is commonly characterized in terms of the tenseness or laxness of the articulators.

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 1/ i: / The front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. It is a FRONT vowel. The tongue is raised towards a close position, so it is a CLOSE vowel. The tongue is tense The lips are spread or neutral.

REGULARLY SPELT: ee: tree, cheese, canteen e: complete, be, these ea: leaf, reason, sea ie: piece, field, siege ey, ei: seize, key, receive i: machine, police, prestige, suite NOTE: people

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 2 / ɪ / The front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. It is a FRONT vowel. The tongue height is near a half close position, so it is a half close vowel. The tongue is lax. The lips are spread.

REGULARLY SPELT: i: fifth, rich, sit, with y: city, rhythm, symbol e: pretty, needed, wicked, except. careless ie: ladies, cities, countries a: village, private NOTE: build, Sunday

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 3 / e / The front of the tongue is raised so, it is a FRONT vowel. The tongue height is between half close and half open. The tongue is lax. The lips are slightly spread.

REGULARLY SPELT: e: bed, wet, went ea: breath, dead, head a: many, Thames NOTE: says, said, bury, Geoffrey, Leicester, friend, ate, again.

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 4 / æ / The front of the tongue is raised so, it is a FRONT vowel. The height of the tongue is between half open and open. The tongue is lax. The lips are spread.

REGULARLY SPELT: a: hand, lamp, macho, marry, rash, sat ai: plaid, plait

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 5 / ɑ :/ The back of the tongue is raised, so it is a BACK vowel. It is an OPEN vowel because the tongue is quite low down in the mouth. The tongue is tense. The lips are rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: a: pass, charge, bath, tomato, father, branch ar: part, car, march ear: heart, hearth er: clerk. Derby, sergeant al: calm, palm, half au: aunt, laugh NOTE: vase

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 10 / ʌ / The central part of the tongue is raised, so it is a central vowel. The height of the tongue is more half open than open. The tongue is lax. The lips are neutral.

REGULARLY SPELT: u: cut, drug, dull, sun, yuppie o: son, come, among, one, done, colour, monkey, mother, nothing, Monday, onion ou: country, Southern, couple, enough, young oo: blood, flood oe: does

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 6 / ɒ / The back of the tongue is raised, but is not fully back. The height of the tongue is between half open and open. The tongue is lax. The lips are slightly rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: o: dock, bonk, holiday, sorry, gone a: was, what, swan, want, watch, quality ou, ow: cough, trough, Gloucester, knowledge au: because, sausage, laurel, Austria, Australia, cauliflower

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 7 / ɔ :/ The back of the tongue is raised, so it is back vowel. The height of the tongue is between half open and half close. The tongue is tense. The lips are rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: ar, or: war, quart, cord, horse, sword, born ore: before, more our: court, four oar, oor: board, door, floor au, augh: fault, cause, daughter a: all, talk, salt, water aw: saw, lawn, jaw, awesome ou: bought, ought Note: broad

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 8 / ʊ / The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, but it is not so fully back vowel. The height of the tongue is near a half close position. The tongue is lax. The lips are close rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: u: butcher, cellular, cushion, full, put, sugar oo: book, good, wood, wool o: bosom, wolf, woman ou: should, courier, could, would Note: Worcester

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 9/u:/ The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, so it is a back vowel. The height of the tongue is raised to a close position. The tongue is tense. The lips are close rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: u: rude, June, Susan, crucial, oo: food, soon, moon, spoon o: do, who, move, lose ou: group, soup, through ew: chew, flew, grew ue ui blue, juice, shoe, clue oe

NOTE: In many cases of the spelling u, ew, eu, ue, ui /u:/ is preceded by /j/: music, duke, neuter, few, argue, nuisance, beauty In some words both /u:/ and /ju:/ are heard: suit, enthusiasm

ENGLISH VOWEL Nº 11/ ɜ :/ The central part of the tongue is raised, so it is a central vowel. The height of the tongue is near a half open. The tongue is tense. The lips are moderately rounded.

REGULARLY SPELT: er, err: her, serve, err, ur, urr: turn, church, purr, nurse ir, yr: bird, first, girl, myrtle w+o: word, world, worse ear: earth, heard our: journey, courtesy, scourge NOTE: colonel