10.Vowels.Principles of classification

Vowels are normally made with the air stream meets no closure or narrowing in the mouth ,pharyngal, or nasal cavities. That is why in the production of vowel sound is no noise component characteristic. On the articulatory level the description of vowels notes change: 1.in the stability of articulation. 2.in the tongue position 3.in the lip position 4.in the character of vowel end.

All English vowels are divided into 3 groups: monophthongs , diphthongs and diphthongoids.

The changes in the position of the tongue determine largely the shape of the mouth and pharyngeal cavities. Tongue can move to change the quality of vowels. FRONT VOWEL is pronounced when the in the front part of the mouth and it is raised to the hard palate (I,e,лягуха). FRONT RETRACTED vowel is pronounced when tongue is in the front part of the mouth but it is slightly retracted ,when it nearer to the centre of the mouth (i).CENTRAL is when the front of the tongue is raised to the back part of the hard palate (домик,3: ,шва). BACK is when the tongue in the back part of the mouth and raised to the soft palate(a: , короткая о,о: ,u: ) BACK ADVANCED is when the tongue in the back part of mouth but it is slightly advanced(продивнутый) and central part of it raised to the soft palate (u).CLOSE is when the front or the back part of tongue is raised high to the palate (I: , I ,u ,u: ). OPEN is when the front or the back part of the tongue is low as possible (лягуха , а:, короткая о ,о: ).MID VOWEL is when the highest part of the tongue occupies the middle position between close and open (e, домик, 3 , шва).

The shape of the mouth cavity depends on lips. UNROUNDED VOWEL is when lips in neutral position. ROUNDED VOWEL when between lips exists narrowing , which is more or less round (короткая о, о: ,U, U: ).

The quality of all English monophthongs in the stressed position is strongly affected by the following consonant of the same syllable. CHECKED VOWEL is when stressed vowel is followed by a strong voiceless consonant and it is cut off by it. FREE VOWEL is when vowel followed by weak voiced consonant or by no consonant .

Vowels are capable of being continued during a longer or a short period. All English vowels are generally divided into long and short. In the similarly accented position all English vowels are fully long when they are final, f x see, bar fur. They are almost as long as that when a weak voiced consonant follows them in the closed syllable, f ex arm, form, bird. They are considerably shorter before strong voiceless consonant in closed syllables, f ex look, lark, first.

11.Monophthongs

All vowels are divided into 3 groups: pure vowels or monophthongs, diphthongs and diphthongoids.

Monophthongs are vowels the articulation of which is almost unchanging. The quality or such vowels is relatively pure. Most Russian vowels are monophthongs. The English monophthongs are:

[i] is front-retracted, close (broad variant), unrounded, short.

The tongue is in the front part of the mouth but slightly retracted. The part of the tongue nearer to centre than to front is raised to a half-close position. The side rims of the tongue make a light contact with the upper teeth. The tongue is lax. The lips are loosely spread. The mouth is slightly in. This vowel may occur in all positions in the word, eg interesting, boring, city etc.

The vowel [i] is longer in the open syllable when it is free. It is shorter in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f e river- pig-sit.

In unstressed syllables it is increasingly common to use [э] instead of [i].

[e] is front, mid (narrow variant), unrounded, short.

The tongue is in the front part or the mouth. The front of the tongue is raised to the hard palate but not so high as for [i]. The side rims of the tongue make a light contact with the upper teeth. The tongue may be more tense than in the case of [i]. The lips are loosely spread. The mouth is slightly open but a bit more than for [i].

This vowel may occur in various positions with of the open syllables, eg many, head, left.

The vowel [e] is longer in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex bed-bet.

[бабочка ] is front, open (broad variant), unrounded.

The mouth is more open than for [e]. The tongue is in the front part of the mouth. The front of the tongue is rather low in the mouth. The side rims of the tongue make a very slight contact with the back upper teeth. The tongue is more tense than in the case of [e].

This vowel occurs only in closed syllables, eg sad, bad, back, lack.

The vowel [ бабочка ] appears to be much longer before weak consonants, especially before [ b,d,g,m,n, dg ].

[ а длинная ] is back, open (broad variant), unrounded, long.

The tongue is open. The tongue is in the back part of the mouth. The back of the tongue is only slightly raised. No contact is made between the rims of the tongue and the upper teeth. The lips are neutral.

This vowel may occur in all positions in the word, eg arm, large, far, artistic.

The vowel [о длинная ] is the longest in the open syllable when it is free. It is shorter in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and rather short in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex car-card-cart.

[ о ] is back, open (broad variant), rounded, short.

This vowel is articulated with the mouth wide open and slight open lip-rounding. The body of the tongue is even more retracted than in the case of the vowel [ а длинная ]. The back of the tongue is only slightly raised. No contact is made between the rims of the tongue and the upper teeth.

It may occur only in closed syllables, eg opera, stock, dog, impossible.

The vowel [ о ] is longer and free in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex dog- dock.

[ о длинная ] is back, open (narrow variant), rounded, long.

The tongue is in the back part of the mouth. The back of the tongue is raised to a half-open position. No contact is made between the rims of the tongue and the upper teeth. The mouth is less open and the lips are more rounded than for the vowel [o]. This vowel may occur in any position in the word, f ex ought, born, talk, before, uniform.

The vowel [o длинная] is longer in the open syllable when it is free. It is shorter in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex bore-board- bought.

[u] is back-advanced, close (broad variant), rounded, short.

The whole body of the tongue is in the back part of the mouth. The part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the back is raised just above the half-close position. There is no firm contact between the side rims of the tongue and the upper teeth. The tongue is rather lax. The lips are rounded about the same amount as for [o длинная] but the mouth is not so open. The vowel is short.

The vowel may occur in closed syllables. It never occurs in word initial positions, f ex good, look, book etc.

The vowel [u] is longer in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex pull-book.

[a] is central, mid (broad variant), unrounded, short.

The tongue is in the central part of the mouth. The front of the tongue is raised to the back of the hard palate just above the fully open position. No contact is made between the tongue and the upper teeth. The tongue is lax. The jaws are considerably separated. The lips are neutrally open. The vowel is short.

The vowel does not occur in open syllables, f ex mother, onion, come, unusual.

The vowel [a] is longer in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex among-cut.

[ё] is central, mid (narrow variant), unrounded, long.

The tongue is almost flat. The central part of the tongue is slightly higher than the front and the back of the tongue, which are raised between the half-close and half-open positions. The passage between the teeth is rather narrow. The vowel is long.*

This vowel may occur in all positions in the word, f ex earn, stir, serve, foreword etc.

The vowel [ ё] is longer in the open syllable when it is free. It is shorter in the closed syllable with a weak voiced consonant at the end. It is checked and much shorter in the stressed closed syllable ending in a strong voiceless consonant, f ex prefer-firm-birth.

[шва] is central, mid (broad variant),unrounded, very short.

It is a a central vowel, which varies from a half-open to a half-close position. The lips are unrounded. The opening between the jaws is narrow.

This vowel occurs in all unstressed positions in the word.