Another answer
to
the question:
What
is the best way to represent vowels.
Jones' vowel trapazoid
is a semi iconic representation that positions vowels according
to their manner of articulation. This diagram can help make sense
of
such descriptions as "high front vowel" and
"open back vowel." The primary
reference
is to the mouth so "open back" means articulated
with an open mouth and
in the back of the mouth. The reference can also be to the jaw and tongue
(open jaw, back of tongue).
If
your computer has a sound card, you may be able to click
and listen to an open back vowel /o/. Find
and click on a
high front vowel in the chart below.
Full
Clik n'Lis'n chart of the saundz ov English. There are other
candidates for the best way to display vowel
phonemes. The vowel trapezoid in Unigraf. |
Three
Notations: IPA, TO, and CKS
3x5
-15 vowel chart - 4x6 chart
|
High - Closed Jaw - Close
|
f
r
o
n
t |
i
is
i.z |
i:
ease
iz Ez |
ju use
iuz Uz |
u
put pu.t
pct |
u: ooze uz
cz |
b
a
c
k |
| e
edge
e.j |
e: ei
age
ej Aj |
^ a'
u'p a'go' |
ou owes
o'z |
o: awes oz |
æ
as
a.z |
ai eyes
yz Iz |
a: q
alms amz |
au owls aulz |
o
otter o.tr |
|
Low - Open Jaw - Open
|
|
Vowel chart with
15 english vowel phonemes based on Daniel Jones' vowel quadrilateral.
High
and
Low
refer to tongue positions. Front
and
Back
refer
to the front and back of the mouth. With a high front vowel, the tongue
touches the roof of the mouth closer to the front.
(more
sounds)
Each cell displays
3 or 4 notations
|
Imagine a left facting
head profile. The quad is a profile of the mouth.
IPA refers to
the notation adopted by the International Phonetics Association.
The table positions the vowels on two dimensions front-back an high-low.
To create the sounds, start with i: (ee) and round lips to produce
the /u:/ (oo). Click to hear the sounds. Then try the same thing
with the front bottom /ae/. Now try to produce the /u:/ sound with
your mouth open. Notice how the high point on your tongue moves to the
back.
If you simply expel air in a relaxed position the sound will be a central
vowel - uh. In the same mid position produce the eh and aw sounds
by moving the high point of your tongue.
|
Unigraf
|
The simplest
vowel quadrilateral would contain 9 cells.
In the broadest transcription, one can get by (i.e., form understandable
utterances) with 9 pure vowels. |
Globish
|
©1998 BETA
Web Design
Quiz
OK
to look at the table once - pick 2 vowels for each answer
1. A high front
vowel would refer to a a: e
i i: o u u' / a'
answer
2. A low back
vowel would refer to a a:
e i i: o u u' / a'
answer
3. A mid vowel
would refer to
a
a: e i i: o u u' / a'
answer |
