Vowels and consonants

• The difference between vowels

and consonants
• Vowels
(chapter 2)
The difference between consonants and vowels
• What is the difference between consonants and vowels?
 The obstruction to the airflow:
 If it is easy for the air to pass through the mouth, the sound
is a vowel. Try /ɑː/.
 If it is difficult to do so, the sound is a consonant. Try /s/
and /d/.
 However, there is a problem. Try /h/. Is it a consonant or vowel?
 The distribution of the sound:
 Only a vowel can appear in the middle position of a word
(except for /j/).
 Consonants are normally found at the initial and final
position of a word.
E.g.: hen h e n
thing θ ɪ ŋ
huge h juː dʒ
The difference between consonants and
vowels
• Manner of articulation: how to make the
sound/how to release the air
- Vowels: no obstruction of the air - the air
goes out freely
-Consonants: always obstruction of the air (
totally or partially)
Distribution: how the sound appear in the language
- Vowels: in an English syllable, there must be a
vowel and only one
- Consonants: maybe no C or in many syllable.
The vowel
• We use three criteria to distinguish between
vowels:
1. Tongue height: the distance between the tongue
and the palate.
2. Backness of the tongue: which part of the tongue
is raised the highest?
3. Roundness of the lips
Tongue height
• When tongue close to
the roof → close vowel.
▫ see [siː]
• When tongue far from
the roof → open vowel.
▫ cat [kæt]
Backness of the tongue
• When the front of the
tongue is raised →
front vowel.
▫ bee [biː]; cat [kæt]
• When the back of the
tongue is raised →
back vowel.
▫ or [ɔː]; car [kɑː]
• Have a look at the clip
to see the parts of the
tongue moving. (clip 1)
Roundness of the lips
• When two corners are brought
towards each other and the lips
are pushed forward
→ rounded vowel.
▫ [uː]
• When the two corners are
moved away (like smiling)
→ unrounded vowel.
▫ [e]
• Have a look at the clip to see the
roundness of the lips. (clip 2)
• When the lips are in the neutral
state
→ schwa [ə]
The quadrilateral of cardinal vowels
• Linguists need a standard system for reference
when they want to compare between vowels. The
system is called cardinal vowels, expressed in a
quadrilateral. Long and short vowels in English
are called monophthongs. (= single sound in
Greek)
 To better understand this, watch the video clip.
The vowel-Classification of simple Vowels
1. The position/height of the tongue: Close/high-
Mid-Open/Low.
2. The part of the tongue: Front-Central- Back
3. The shape of lips: Spread- Neutral- Rounded
4. The length of sound & tension of muscles:
Long-Tense; Short-Lax.
The quadrilateral of cardinal vowels
• Cardinal vowels are like landmarks that help you cruise
through the land of vowels.
• We use the quadrilateral of cardinal vowels to describe the
English short and long vowels:
Front Central Back
Close i u
• iː • uː (clip)

•ɪ •ʊ
Close-mid e o
• ɔː
•ə
•e
ɜː •
Open-mid ɛ ɔ
•ʌ
•æ •ɒ
• ɑː
Open a ɑ
The vowel-Classification of simple Vowels

• /i:/ : Close, Front, Spread, Long, Tense.

• /u:/ Close, Back, Rounded, Long, Tense.
• / ɒ/: Open, Back, Rounded, Short, Lax.
• / ə/: Mid, Central, Neutral, Short, Lax.
• / ʌ /: Open-mid, Central, Neutral, Short, Lax
The diphthong
• Diphthongs are sounds which consist of a movement
or glide from one vowel to another (different from a
pure vowel which remains constant).
• The first part is much longer & stronger than the
second part.

E.g.: [aɪ] ¾a
¼ɪ
• We have more examples of this in the clip.
The diphthong
Diphthong

centring closing

ending with ending with ending

/ə/ /ɪ/ with /ʊ/

ɪə eə ʊə eɪ aɪ ɔɪ əʊ aʊ

Group work: Find some examples for the above diphthongs

The diphthong
• The 8 diphthongs in English can be classified
basing on the direction of the glide
• See the Diphthong Chart (on text book)
Characteristics of Vowels and Diphthongs
• Oral sound: sounds in which the air escapes totally
by the mouth (velum raised)
• Nasal sound - /m, n, ŋ /: sounds in which the air
escapes totally by the nose (velum lowed-mouth
closed)
• Nasalized sound: oral sound in which a part of the
air escapes by the nose because of the neighboring
sound
• Continuant sound: sounds in which the air escapes
continuously, without interruption - /s/, /e/.
Characteristics of Vowels and Diphthongs
• Nasalization: a vowel nasalized when preceding
a final nasal – symbol /~/
▫ E.g.: pin [p ĩ n] ; fine [f ãi n]; in [ ĩ n]
• Shortening : a vowel in a bit shortened when
preceding a final voiceless sound- symbol //
▫ E.g.: bit [bi´t]; beat [bi´:t] ; goat [gə´ʊt]
The triphthong
• Similar to diphthongs, a triphthong is a glide from
one vowel to another and then to a third vowel.

eɪ eɪə layer; player

əʊ əʊə slower; mower
aɪ + ə = aɪə liar; fire
aʊ + ə = aʊə power; hour
ɔɪ ɔɪə loyal; royal

• The middle part can hardly be heard (for some

speakers) in present-day English.
Quiz
• Describe the English long and short vowels:

i u
• iː (1) • uː (4)

• ɪ (2) • ʊ (3)
e o
• ɔː (5)
• ə (8)
• e (6)
(7)ɜː •
ɛ ɔ
• ʌ (12)
• æ (9) • ɒ (10)
• ɑː (11)
a ɑ
Written quiz: remember to write your name and student I.D.

• Ca đầu
• Ca sau
Phonetic features of vowels 1
• What phonetic feature(s) distinguishes the sets
of sounds in column A from those in column B?

A B
1. [ɒ] 1. [ɑː]
2. [iː] [ɪ] [e] [æ] 2. [uː] [ʊ] [ɔː]
Phonetic features of vowels 2
• What phonetic feature(s) distinguishes the sets
of sounds in column A from those in column B?

A B
1. [e] 1. [ɑː]
2. [iː] [ɪ] [uː] [ʊ] 2. [e] [ɔː] [æ]
Key for HW
Key for HW
Key for HW