Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension SCHWA DESCRIPTION /ə/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Between open-mid and close-mid Centre Unrounded: neutral Lax Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension DRESS DESCRIPTION /e/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Just above open-mid Fully front Unrounded: loosely spread Lax (it’s a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension FLEECE DESCRIPTION Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively long Just below close Just behind fully front Unrounded: spread Tense (it isn’t a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension KIT DESCRIPTION /i:/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Just above close-mid Centralised front Unrounded: loosely spread Lax (it’s a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension FOOT DESCRIPTION /ʊ/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Just above close-mid Centralised back Unrounded (modern) closely rounded (traditional) Lax (it’s a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue GOOSE DESCRIPTION /u:/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively long Just below close ● Centralised monophthong [ ] or diphthong [ ● Fully back before velarized lateral [ ] Lip shape Tongue tension Unrounded (modern) rounded (traditional) Tense (it isn’t a checked vowel) ] Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension FORCE DESCRIPTION /ɔ:/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively long Just below mid-close (modern) between mid-close and mid-open (traditional) Fully front Rounded: medium lip rounding Tense (it isn’t a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension LOT DESCRIPTION /ɒ/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Just below open-mid Fully back Rounded: slight open lip rounding Lax (it’s a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension START DESCRIPTION /ɑ:/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively long (slight pre-fortis clipping so as not to confuse with STRUT Fully open Between centre and back Unrounded: neutrally open Tense (it isn’t a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension STRUT DESCRIPTION /ʌ/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short Just above fully open Centralised back (modern) or central (traditional) Unrounded: neutrally open Lax (it’s a checked vowel) Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension Voicing Nasal resonator Relative length Degree of opening Part of the tongue Lip shape Tongue tension NURSE DESCRIPTION /ɜ:/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively long (slight pre-fortis clipping so as not to confuse with SCHWA Between mid-open and mid-close Central Unrounded: neutrally spread Tense (it isn’t a checked vowel) TRAP DESCRIPTION /æ/ Voiced Shut off – oral sound Relatively short, but it can be lengthened before voiced consonants Just above open Fully front Unrounded: neutrally open Lax (it’s a checked vowel)
