Speech Work: The Vowel Sounds – JSS3 English Lesson Note (Third Term)

Vowel sounds are speech sounds made with a free flow of air from the larynx to the lips, with no obstruction in the mouth.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. define vowel sounds;
2. state the four criteria used to describe vowels;
3. name the three types of English vowel sounds;
4. list the seven short and five long monophthongs;
5. give examples of words that contain each of the twelve monophthongs.

What are vowel sounds?

A vowel sound is a speech sound made with neither a complete closure nor a narrowing of the vocal tract.

• Airflow: air escapes freely through the mouth or nose from the larynx to the lips.
• Movement: only slight movements of the tongue and lips are needed.
• Difference from consonants: consonants involve a closure or narrowing that blocks or disturbs the air.

How are vowels described?

Vowels are described by four criteria: tongue part, tongue height, soft palate position and lip shape.

1. Part of the tongue raised: front, centre or back.
2. Height of the tongue: high, mid or low. It can also be called close, mid-close, mid-open and open.
3. Position of the soft palate: raised for oral vowels, lowered for nasalised vowels.
4. Shape of the lips: rounded, neutral or spread, in various degrees.

What are the types of vowel sounds?

There are three types of English vowel sounds: monophthongs, diphthongs and triphthongs.

• Monophthongs: pure vowels, made with one steady sound, as in sit and food.
• Diphthongs: impure vowels, made by gliding from one vowel to another in one syllable.
• Triphthongs: made by gliding through three vowel positions in one syllable.

What are monophthongs?

A monophthong, or pure vowel, is a vowel in which only one sound is involved.

• Number: there are twelve monophthongs.
• Groups: seven are short and five are long.

What are the seven short vowels?

The short vowels are /i/, /e/, /æ/, /ɔ/, /u/, /ʌ/ and /ə/, so called because they are brief in speech.

• /i/: front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate, a little lower than for /i:/. The lips are loosely spread. Examples: fit, little, hill, ship.
• /e/: front of the tongue is raised to about mid position, between close and open. The lips are between spread and neutral. Examples: bet, egg, spread, pen, get, pet.
• /æ/: front of the tongue is low, lower than for /e/. The lips are between neutral and spread. Examples: bad, mat, man, match, back, bag.
• /ɔ/: back of the tongue is used and kept low. The lips are slightly rounded and the jaw is open. Examples: not, box, long, spot, because, cop, cough, what, want.
• /u/: back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. The lips are rounded. Examples: put, foot, book, push, would, could, woman, bosom, bullet.
• /ʌ/: a short, sharp vowel made in the centre to back of the mouth, between half-open and open. The lips are neutral. It is often difficult for Nigerian learners. Examples: cut, but, mother, cup, stuck, done, some, sum, does, worry, come, love, couple.
• /ə/: a short, weak vowel made with the centre of the tongue raised and the lips neutral. It is called the schwa. It occurs mostly in unstressed syllables and is made with little energy. Examples: mature, formula, curable, matter, doctor, neighbour, famous, confused, today.

What are the five long vowels?

The long vowels are /i:/, /a:/, /ɔ:/, /u:/ and /ɜ:/, so called because they last longer in speech.

• /i:/: front of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate. The lips are spread. Examples: read, see, chief, key, be.
• /a:/: back of the tongue is used and kept low in the mouth. The lips are neutral. Examples: father, calm, clerk, laugh, dark, saga, class, pass.
• /ɔ:/: the long partner of /ɔ/. The back of the tongue is raised and the lips are rounded very considerably. Examples: saw, law, caught, fought, cord, sword.
• /u:/: made high and at the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is raised almost to the close position. The lips are closely rounded. Examples: two, food, moot, canoe, shoe, do, to, move, mute, rule, fruit, juice, suit.
• /ɜ:/: a central vowel made with the centre of the tongue raised and the lips neutral. It is often spelt “er”, “ir” or “ur”. Examples: fern, bird, girl, earth, journey, tournament, scourge, thirst, thirty, circuit, skirt.

• Most frequent vowel: the schwa /ə/ occurs more often than any other monophthong.
• Vowel chart: the mouth position of each vowel is shown on a chart.

Cardinal vowel chart

What are diphthongs?

A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one vowel to another within one syllable.

• /ei/: as in day, make, rain.
• /ai/: as in my, time, light.
• /ɔi/: as in boy, coin, noise.
• /əu/: as in go, home, boat.
• /au/: as in now, house, town.
• /iə/: as in here, ear, beer.
• /eə/: as in hair, care, there.
• /uə/: as in pure, tour, poor.

What are triphthongs?

A triphthong is a vowel sound that glides through three vowel positions in one syllable.

• /eiə/: as in player.
• /aiə/: as in fire.
• /ɔiə/: as in royal.
• /əuə/: as in lower.
• /auə/: as in flower.

Evaluation

1. Define vowel sounds.
2. State the four criteria used to describe vowels.
3. Name the three types of English vowel sounds.
4. List the seven short vowels and the five long vowels.
5. Give five words that contain the vowel /u:/.

Assignment

Write out the twelve monophthongs. Beside each one, write three example words from this note.