Unrounded Front Close Vowel

Description The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point slightly below and behind front close position. The lips are spread as for a photographic smile. The tongue is tense with the side rims making a firm contact with the upper molars.

Quality Strength: inherently long and strong The sound is relatively long; It is shortened to different degrees in syllables closed by a voiceless consonant (t) and in unstressed syllables. When the syllable is closed by a voiceless consonant the sound is shortened. E.g.: meat / teeth / feet /

Position Initial: eat, easy, east Medial: teach, cathedral, obese, bead Final: degree, agree, tea, pea Since it is a long vowel does not occur before /

Common Spellings All ee: tree / / cheese /:/ canteen /k/ be / / these //

Most e: complete /k /

Most ea: leaf // reason // Less common ie: piece //

sea / /

field / / siege // receive / /

Less common ei-ey: seize // key / /

Less common i: machine // police // prestige / / suite / Exceptions: quay // people /()/

phoenix //

 Unrounded Half - Close Front Vowel

Description A part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the front is raised. It is raised just above the close-mid position The lips are loosely spread. The tongue is lax.

Quality Strength: short and weak Centralized, raised to the C3[e] Three types of sounds vowel should be considered: Position Initial: egressive, initial, immigrant Medial: Larynx, frill, drill, glottis Final: city, early, tyranny Occurs very frequently in unaccented syllables Close, tense, long as in [i:] Close, tense, short as in [i] (neutral, only in final position) Half close, lax, short as in []

Common spellings Common i: fifth Common y: city rich // sit // with

rhythm / symbol

Common e: pretty houses / Less common ie: ladies / Less common a: village / Exceptions: build / women Endings with:

needed /

except /

cities / private / business / England /

Sunday / minute(n) /

Beginnings with:
be-: begin, between, become se-: sedition, select de-: deposit, deny, desire

-ity: sincerity, quality etc. -itive: positive, fugitive etc.

-ily: primarily, easily, happily etc. -ate: fortunate, chocolate, candidate etc. -ible: posible, visible etc. -em: problem, item, system etc -ess: useless, goodness etc. -ace: necklace, palace, preface etc. -age: manage, village etc.

-et: pocket, target, budget etc.

Unrounded Front Vowel, between Close-Mid and Open-Mid

Description

The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point between the close-mid and open-mid positions. The lips are loosely spread and slightly wider apart than for The tongue may have more tension than in the case of

Quality

Strength: short and strong Between C[] and C[ ] Spanish speakers should be careful not to confuse this sound with They should open their mouth wider than for and drop their lower jaw slightly.

Position

Initial: ethnic, enter, egg Medial: message, lesson, tender, dress Does not occur in final open syllables.

Common spellings

Common e: bed

set

went / head /

Less common ea: breath Less common a: many Exceptions: says / Leicester /

dead

Thames

said / bury Geoffrey / friend / ate again /

 Unrounded Front Vowel between Open and Open-Mid

Description

The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a position midway just above open, with the side rims making a very slight contact with the upper molars. The lips are neutrally open. They are spread as in social smile.

Quality

Strength: Short and strong Just above [a] Spanish speakers tend to use Spanish [e] or [a], while [ ] is in fact half way between both. The distance between the jaws is wider than for /e/

Position

Initial: algebra, absent, apple Medial: grammar, fat, exam, carol, mechanic Does not occur in final open syllables.

Common spellings

All a: hand / Rash /

lamp /

macho / hat /

marry / bad

sat

Exceptions: plait /

plaid /

/ / Unrounded Open Back Vowel

Description

A part of the tongue nearer to the centre and the back is in its fully open position. The lips are neutrally open. No contact between the rims of the tongue and the upper molars.

Quality

Strength: long and strong Nearer to C[] rather than to C[a]

Difference of length according o whether it occurs in a syllable closed by a voiceless or voiced consonant. The tip of the tongue must remain low in the mouth to avoid an intrusive /r/ sound before consonants and pause.

Position

Initial: aunt, arent, ask Medial: car, bath, heart Final: par Does not normally occur before //

Common spellings

Most ar: part / Some a: after /

car /

march / artist / morale /

tomato / branch / half / hearth / clerk / palm /

Some al: calf/ calm/ Less common ear: heart /

Less common er: sergeant / Less common au: aunt / Exceptions: guard /

derby /

laugh/

Remember that some of these words need to be shortened, especially those with voiceless /t/ /f/ /t/ /k/ // // within the final syllable.

/ / Rounded Back Vowel, between Open and Mid-Open

Description

The back of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point just above the open position. Open jaws and slight open lip-rounded, but not push forward (not protruded). No contact between the tongue and the upper molars.

Quality

Strength: short and strong It is like open lip-rounded C[] // not // - Spanish speakers tend to pronounce // with too close a tongue position, failing to make the difference between these two contrastive units.

Position

Initial: office, object, odd Medial: cough, knowledge, watch, clock Does not occur in final open syllables.

Common spellings

All o: dog /

cod /

bonk /

holiday / gone / quarrel /

All o + double consonant: sorry / bottle / All ock: dock / clock / block /

Some a: wash / watch / Less common ou, ow: cough / Less common au: because / Australia / Exceptions: yatch /

swallow / quality / knowledge / sausage / laurel /