Matakuliah : G 0332/English Phonology
Tahun
: 2007
Vowels, Diphtongs and Triphtongs
Pertemuan 2
Vowel Sounds
• Vowels are sounds in which there is no obstruction to
the flow of air as it passes from the larynx to the lips.
• A description of vowel sounds must include:
1. The position of the part of the tongue , front, central
and back , which is raised highest.
2. The position of the tongue against the palate, i.e.
close, close mid, open mid, open.
3. The lips shape, i.e. rounded, spread and neutral.
4. The length of sound : lax (short) or tense (long).
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English Cardinal Vowels
• There are 12 cardinal vowels in English, they are
1. i: - tea
7. a: - art
2. I - sit
8. ʌ - up
3. e – pen
9. u: - food
4. æ - sad
10. u - foot
5. з: - bird
11. ɔ: - war
6. ə - ago
12. ɒ - not
* These vowels can be put in a chart, called vowel chart in
a form of quadrilateral chart.
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Short Vowels
1. / I / . Slightly spread, close front vowel . It can occur in
all position. It can be represented by different spellings:
i,y, e, ie, and a, as in bit, pin , fish, city, beauty, pretty,
basket, ladies, village.
2. /e/ . Slightly spread, mid close, front. It can occur in all
position. It can be represented by different spellings: e,
ea, and a, as in bet, men, dead, head, many.
3. /æ/. Spread, open, front. It can occur in all position. It
can be represented by the spelling: a, as in : sad, bat,
man, gas.
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Short Vowels
4. / ʌ/ . Neutral, mid open , central vowel. It can occur in all
position. It can be represented by different spellings: u,
o, ou, oo, oe as in but, sun, son, come, country, enough,
blood, does.
5. /ɒ/ . Rounded, open mid, back. It can occur in all
position. It can be represented by different spellings: o,
a, ou, ow, au, as in pot, gone, was, what, cough,
because, sausage
6. /u/. Rounded, close, back. It can occur in all position. It
can be represented by different spellings: u, o, oo, ou as
in put, putll, wolf, woman, good, book, could, should.
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Long vowels
1. /i:/ . Spread, close, front. It can occur in all position. It can be
represented by different spellings: ee, e, ea, ie, ei, ey, I , as in tree,
complete, leaf, piece, field, key, police.
2. /з:/ . Neutral, mid open, central. It can occur in all position. It can be
represented by different spellings: ir, yr, er, err, ear, ur, or, our, as in
bird, first, her, turn, church, word, journey.
3. /ɑ/. Neutral, open, back. It can occur in all position. It can be
represented by different spellings: a, ar, ear, er, al, as in pass,
card, car, heart, clerk, calm.
4. /u:/ . Rounded, close, back. It can occur in all position. It can be
represented by different spellings: oo, o, ou, u, ew, ue, ui, oe as in
food, soon, do, group, rude, chew, clue, juice, fruit, shoe.
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Diphthongs
• Diphthongs are sounds which consist of a movement or
glide from one vowel to another.
• Diphthong consists of two vowels, in which the first part
is longer and stronger and the second part is shorter and
quieter.
• The total number of diphthongs is eight, which is divided
into three groups:
- ending in ə :iə ,uə, eə
- ending in I : ei, ai, ɔi
- ending in u : əu, au
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Diphthongs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
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iə : deer, dear, weird, fierce, idea, museum
uə: poor, moor, pure, curious, sewer, tour, druing
eə : care, air, fair, bear, chair.
ei: ape, day, eight, great
ai: time, high, die, either, cry, dye.
əu: so, oak, toe, soul, though, know, slow.
au: house, sound, gown
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Triphthongs
• A triphthong is a glide from one vowel to another and
then to a third, all produced rapidly and without
interruption.
• The tripthongs consist of 5 closing diphthongs with ə
added on the end. There are 5 triphthongs : eiə, aiə,
ɔiə, əuə, auə.
* Example of triphtongs: layer, player, liar, fire, loyal, royal,
lower, mower, power, hour.
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