Vowels: other considerations Diphthongs ATR Rhoticity Length
Diphthongs Two-vowel sequence [ai] [au] [oi] [ei] and [ou] [ij] and [uw]
Diphthongs Make up one syllable –“naïve” and “knife” –“employ” and “employee”
Diphthongs
ATR Advanced tongue root –Tongue root is more forward –Larynx is lowered pharynx is enlarged
ATR ATR in Igbo (Ladefoged and Maddieson 1996) Examples from AkanAkan
Rhoticity
Rhoticized means “r-colored” –“bird” “park” “fur” “assert” Different articulations –Tongue tip raised (like retroflex) –Tongue tip lowered with tongue body bunched up
Rhoticity Six different English speakers showing the “bunched up” style (Ladefoged and Maddieson 1996)
Rhoticity
Length Arabic, Vietnamese, Hindi, German… Mixe
Vowel inventory Five- and seven-vowel systems are most common SpanishYiddishItalian
Vowel inventory Some languages have many more French (plus nasals) English (plus diphthongs)
Vowels and orthography No vowel indication –Semitic languages Auxiliary vowel indication –(the same) Semitic languages Inherent vowel indication –Indian languages Independent vowel indication –English
No or auxiliary vowel indication Vn thgh ths sntnc hs n vwls y cn stll ndrstnd wht t sys
Inherent vowel indication Each grapheme includes a vowel (usually schwa) Gujarati