Uttalslära Introduction to phonetics and English phonology

Vowels are voiced sounds which are produced without any obstruction to the vocal cavity. A syllable has one vowel sound.

Vowels can be open, for instance / ɑ :/ or close, for instance /i:/ front, for instance /e/ or back, for instance /u:/

The vowel sounds of English /ı/ pit /e/ pet /æ/ pat / ʊ / put / ʌ / but / ə / above / ɒ / pot (only RP) /i:/ see / 3 :/ girl / ɑ :/ father / ɔ :/ door /u:/ noon /eı/ face, pain /aı/ iron / ɔ ı/ boy /a ʊ / scout / ə ʊ ||o( ʊ )/boat /ı ə / hear (only RP) /e ə / bear (only RP) / ʊ ə / poor (only RP, uncommon)

Return to /ə/ Schwa, /ə/, is the most common vowel sound in the English language. It is used in unstressed syllables, where the vowel is reduced. Compare: suspect (verb) /səs'pekt/ suspect (noun) /'s ʌ spəkt/

/ı/ in unstressed syllables In some words, /ı/ is used instead of /ə/ when a syllable is unstressed, especially when the spelling is e, i, y. /ı/ also occurs in stressed syllables, unlike /ə/. target/'t ɑ :(r)gıt/ biscuit/'bıskıt/ city/'sıtı/

Mute vowels Schwa, where the vowel is reduced, is different from mute vowels which occur in the spelling but not in the pronunciation or transcription of some words. hate/heıt/ hurricane/ ˈ h ʌ rıkeın/

Unstressed syllables with “long” vowels athlete/ ˈ æθli:t/ appetite/ ˈ æpətaıt/ hurricane/ ˈ h ʌ rıkeın/ A mute e in the spelling often signals that the preceding unstressed vowel is not reduced to schwa or /ı/.

Diphthongs Also known as glides. Two sounds (di- = two, double) Two types of diphthongs: falling where the first sound is more pronounced than the second sound, and rising where the second sound is more pronounced. English has eight diphthongs, all of them falling.

/eı/ as in say Spellings:a, ai, ay, ei, ey Examples raven/'reıvən/ train/treın/ weigh/weı/

/aı/ as in iron Spellings: i, y, ie, ye Examples bite/baıt/ die/daı/ rye/raı/

/ ɔ ı / as in boy Spellings: oi, oy Examples joint/d ʒɔ ınt/ toy/t ɔ ı/

/ a ʊ / as in scout Spellings: ou, ow Examples noun/na ʊ n/ howl/ha ʊ l/ out/a ʊ t/

/ ə ʊ ||o( ʊ ) / as in boat Spellings: o, oa, oe, ou, ow Examples nose/nə ʊ z||no ʊ z/ boat/bə ʊ t||bo ʊ t/ toe/tə ʊ ||to ʊ / tow/tə ʊ ||to ʊ /

/ıə/ as in dear Spellings: e, ea, ee, ie (all before r) Examples here/hıə(r)/ beard/bıə(r)d/ beer/bıə(r)/ pierce/pıə(r)s/

/eə/ as in hair Spellings: a, ae, ai, ei, ey (all before r) Examples hair/heə(r)/ bare/beə(r)/ heir/eə(r)/ bear/beə(r)/

/ ʊ ə/ as in poor (uncommon) Spellings: oo, u (both before r) NB! Only in RP. Is becoming replaced by / ɔ :/ Examples jury/d ʒʊ ərı || d ʒ u:rı/ poor/p ʊ ə || p ɔ :r/

Related words — different pronunciations grave /greıv/gravity / ˈ grævity/ nation / ˈ ne ɪʃ ən/ national / ˈ næ ʃ ən(ə)l/ type /taıp/typical / ˈ tıpıcəl/ Bible / ˈ baıb(ə)l/biblical / ˈ bıblık(ə)l/ discrete /dı ˈ skri:t/discretion /d ɪˈ skre ʃ ən/ compete /kəm ˈ pi:t/ competitor /kəm ˈ pet ɪ tə(r)/

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