Vowels 2

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Vowels 2

• LIN 3201

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• Some reminders about vowels

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1. Vowels are described in three basic parameters

• Tongue height i vs. a
• (high vs. low /close vs. open)
• Tongue backness i vs. u
• (front vs. back)
• Lip rounding i vs. y
• (rounded vs. unrounded)

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2. Vowels, as syllable nuclei, may occur alone in
the nucleus or with other sounds

• Pure vowels a single vowel that maintains
  tongue positioning and lip rounding state during
  entire production of the vowel i or o
• Glided vowels a combination of a vowel and
  another vowel or an approximant in the same
  syllable tongue and lip position glides from
  production of sound a to sound b iy or ow
• Also known as diphthongs
• Perceived as being a single unit

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3. Vowels are organized into a reference system
known as Cardinal Vowels (CVs)

• Cardinal vowels are a system of universal
  reference vowels
• They dont necessarily coincide with vowels of
  any one language (Especially not English!)
• Considered to be auditorily equidistant steps, so
  your tongue doesnt necessarily move in
  equidistant steps
• They are all peripheral (occurring at the
  outermost boundaries of the vowel system) and pure

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Primary CVs
From 1-2-3-4 are equidistant steps steps 5-8
continue with increasing roundness
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Secondary CVs
Version of Primary CVs with opposite rounding
because rounding state affects acoustics, steps
are not equidistant like they are with primary CVs
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4. Some languages use an additional features to
describe vowel qualities

• Sometimes called tense vs. lax vowels, where
  tense tightened tongue musculature
• Used to distinguish vowels in English i vs. I
• Be cautious, this terminology is controversial
• Some languages, like Akan or Twi, do have a vowel
  distinction in pharynx width
• ATR Advanced Tongue Root is a better
  description than tense or lax (ATR or ATR)
• Involves lowering the larynx or advancing the
  root of the tongue so that the pharyngeal cavity
  is enlarged

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5. There are additional modifications affecting
vowels

• Nasalization send air through nasal cavity
  during production of vowel
• Voicelessness devoice vowel
• Length vowel increase in length
• Diphthongs combine with another vowel (or
  approximant) in same syllable
• Rhotacization adding r-coloring to vowel, as
  in American English pronunciation of bird
• Gliding in general adding vowel or approximant
  in the same syllable before producing the primary
  vowel (on-glide) or after (off-glide)

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Samples of vowel modification
KNOW the diacritics for voicelessness,
nasalazation and length!
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IPA Vowel Chart for LIN 3201
Courtesy of Dr. Caroline Wiltshire