Types of vowels

Types Of
Vowels

Student: Marcelo Sepúlveda Godoy
Teacher: Vanessa Vidal
Date: 11/05/11

Index
Introduction Page 2

Contents:
A.The English simple (“pure”) vowels or monophthongs. Page 4
B. The English back vowels.Page 5

C. The English Central Vowels. Page 6

D. Images Page 7

F. Conclusion Page 8G. Bibliography Page 9

Introduction

In this homework I will try to explain the 3 differents types of vowels in English, the first one are the English simple vowels or monophthongs, the second are the English back vowels, and the third are the English Central Vowels, this tree kinds of vowelsrepresents differents ways of explanation of how are and how you can compared the vowel with normal and word what we normally used to in our life and the way what we live, also I will show some clarity images of the Vowels in English, examples with animals and I will show the importance of the vowels in our life for ending this homework.

A.- The English simple (“pure”) vowels or monophthongs.

1)[i:] is a close (high), long, tense, unrounded vowel. The vowel is distributed in all three basic positions: word-initial: east; word-medial: dean and word-final: sea.
It is spelt e; economy, remark, or ee; see, feet, or ea; each, seal, Other possible spellings are ie; fiend, ei; seizing, I; machine, or, exceptionally: ey; key.

2) [ı]. This is a more retracted front vowel, and its degree ofopenness is
close to that of the cardinal half-close position. [ı] is a short, lax,
unrounded vowel, its length varying, as in the case of the preceding
vowel, according to the nature of the following consonant. The length
decreases if the following sound is voiceless. The vowel is
spelt i (e.g. ill, tick) or y; syntax, party. Other spellings are possible as
well, as in the exceptionalexamples minute [mınıt], private [praıvıt], women
[wımın].

3) [e] This is a short, lax, unrounded vowel whose degree of openness is
intermediate between cardinal half-close and half-open. The vowel
is spelt either [e] in words like elf, fell, or ea in lead head or
bread. It can be exceptionally spelt a in ate (the past tense of eat), many,
any, Thames or Pall Mall.

4) [æ] is the lowest frontvowel of English. It is a short, lax, unrounded
vowel, a little higher than the cardinal vowel [a]. It is a very common
vowel in English and, contrary to the perception of many foreign learners
of English, it is a short, not a long vowel. In fact, the basic difference
between this vowel and the preceding one is the degree of openness, [æ]
being lower. It is usually spelt a: act, fat, and onlyexceptionally ai: plait [plæt], plaid [plæd].

B.- English back vowels.

5) [a:] It is a more advanced, low, long, tense, unrounded vowel. It is normally spelt by the letter a followed by a silent r in syllable or word-final position: jar, carpet. It is often followed by a silent l in words like palm, calm, balm. Sometimes f or ff can follow: after, staff; or ss: pass, class, or s or nfollowed by another consonant: past, demand; or th in word-final position: path, bath.

6) [ɔ] It is short, lax, open and slightly rounded. It is only distributed in initial and medial position: on, pot, and never in final position. The vowel is usually spelt o. Other spellings are possible; ou, a and au in rare cases like cough, want, or laurel.

7) [ɔ:] is closer and longer than [ɔ]. It is a...