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Asignatura: ORAL I
SEMESTRE 2015-2
Profesora: Mariela Pinto Sequera
Estudiante: _______________________
Vowels are sonorous, syllabic sounds made with the vocal tract more open than it is for consonant and
glide articulations. Different vowel sounds (also called vowel qualities) are produced by varying the
placement of the body of the tongue (remember that for vowels our tongue tip is behind your lower,
front teeth) and shaping the lips. The shape of the vocal tract can be further altered by protruding the
lips to produce rounded vowels, or by lowering the velum to produce a nasal vowel. Finally, vowels
may be tense or lax, depending on the degree of vocal tract constriction during their articulation.
Dobrovolsky & Katamba (n.d.)
Vowels are distinguished from consonants in several ways. Consonants are produced by either
narrowing the oral tract enough to completely close it or to cause turbulence at the narrowest point.
Vowels are produced with a smooth, unobstructed airflow through the oral tract.
Differences in vowel quality are produced by changing the shape of the oral cavity. Characteristic vowel
qualities are produced primarily by varying the height of the tongue in the mouth; second, by whether
the back or the front of the tongue and mouth are involved; third, by the configuration of the lips; and
finally, by the tension of the musculature of the oral tract.
Delahunty & Garvey (2004.)
Classification of Vowel Sounds - Taken from Quintana de Laya & Laya (1994)
b. The part of the tongue which is the highest (Tip, Blade, Root - nearest the roof of the mouth)
If you say / i / and then / u / without making a pause, you will feel your tongue moving and
raising on the back.
FRONT the front of the tongue is raised in the direction of the hard palate / i - - e /
CENTRAL the center of the tongue is slightly raised toward the point of junction between the
hard and soft palates / - - or /
BACK the back of the tongue is raised in the direction of the velum / u - - - /
/ or - - - / (Neutral)
3. Length
According to their duration, vowels are usually divided into long and short vowels. However, we
may easily perceive that the so-called long and short vowels have several degrees of length,
depending on the environment in which they occur.
In general, both open syllables and those closed by voiced consonants are considerably longer than
syllables of identical vowel quality closed by voiceless consonants.
See
seed
seat
LONG VOWELS / i - u - or - - /
Sue
sued
suit
and / a - e - - a - o or /
SHORT VOWELS / - - e - - - /
4. State of tension of the tongue
Vowels are divided into tense and lax vowels. Some vowels require a greater degree of tension of
the muscles of the vocal tract (especially of the tongue) than others. These vowels are called tense
vowels. Vowels articulated with little muscular tension are called lax vowels. (Leave - live)
TENSE / i - u - or - - /
LAX / - - e - - - /
/ a - e - - a - o or /
5. Stability of Articulation
MONOPHTHONGS: (Single vowels) produced with the tongue in a relatively stable position.
/ i - - u - - e - - - - - - or /
DIPHTHONGS: their production involves a marked articulatory movement from one tongue
position towards another. / a - e - - a - o or /
Tea
Meet
Key
Pronunciation of / i: /
1.
2.
3.
4.
Ship
Sit
Bit
Pronunciation of / /
1.
2.
3.
4.
Practice / i: /
Open your mouth a little more.
Do not spread your lips into a smile
Pull your tongue down a little
Bet
Met
Pen
Bell
IPA symbol []
Pronunciation of / e /
1. Practice / /
2. Open your mouth a little more for / e /
Pronunciation of / /
1. Practice / e /
2. Open your mouth a little more.
Cup
Cut
Love
Stressed Schwa
1. Practice / /
2. Close your mouth a little.
3. Your tongue should rest in the middle of
your mouth
4. This is a short, relaxed sound
Machine
Doctor
Father
Allow
Unstressed Schwa
Pronunciation of / /
1. Practice / /
2. Make it very short for / /.
3. Your tongue should rest in the middle of
your mouth
4. This sound is always short and weak
Lips are in
neutral
Hot
Cop
Sock
Pronunciation of / : /
1. Practice / /
2. Open your mouth wide for / : /.
3. Your tongue should rest in the bottom of
your mouth
Pronunciation of / : /
1. Practice / : /
2. Open your mouth wider
3. Push your lips forward a little and make
them round
/u:/
Too
Pool
Suit
Pronunciation of / u : /
1. Push your lips forward into a circle
2. Pull your tongue up and back
3. Push your lips into a tighter circle as
you say it
Book
Pull
Look
Practice / u: /
Open your mouth a little
Your lips should be less rounded
Dont push your lips into a tight circle
/:/ or /:/
Long half-close tense central unrounded
Fur
Word
Shirt
Rhotacized Schwa
/:/ (stressed)
// (unstressed)
Pronunciation of / : /
1. Practice / /
2. Close your mouth a little
3. Curl the tip of your tongue up and back