Phonology: Analyzing the Sounds of Language Introduction to Articulatory Phonetics: Vowels

Types of Phonemes Phonologists distinguish between three main categories of phonemes: consonants, vowels, and diphthongs. As a speaker makes a vowel sound, the vocal tract is unobstructed and air leaves the lungs in a constant stream: /ɑ/, /æ/, /e/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /i/, /ʊ/, /u/, /o/, /ɔ/, /ə/. Vowels are “sonorants”

Voicing: All vowels are voiced IPA symbol chart in voiced/voiceless pairs. Describes the vibration of the vocal cords. Like a rubber band you can stretch taut or leave loose: if taut, it vibrates as air goes through it; if loose, it doesn’t.rubber band

Vowels Vowels are described in two dimensions along with two additional properties: height, frontness/backness, and rounding, tenseness/laxness. The “vowel quadrangle” mimics the position of the tongue in the mouth when a speaker articulates the vowel.

Using the Vowel Quadrangle The Vowel Quadrangle can help you visualize the position of your tongue when you speak. /æ/ is a low, front, unrounded vowel ‘pat’

Vowel Quadrangle FrontCenterBack High i ɪ u Ʊ High Middle e εƏ o Ɔ Middle Lowæaɑ pete pit pate pet pat pot Poe paw Pooh put putt

Diphthongs In a diphthong, the vowel sound begins at one position and “glides” to another position. You can actually feel your jaw move as you make the sound. eye; out; boy

Phonemes and Allophones Allophones are alternate, non- contrastive outcomes of the same phoneme. For example, how do you pronounce “Trenton”? [- ɪ n] vs [- Ə n] –For example, PDE speakers may use a variety of [r] sounds, but we hear “red” whether a speaker says [r Ɛ d] or [ ɹƐ d]