Vowel Locations and Variants

• This table gives a brief description of how each English vowel is articulated, using Received Pronunciation (RP) as the reference model. To put this accent in perspective, the table also lists just a few of the hundreds of local and interna­tional regional variations which affect each vowel, as well as some of the variations which are found within RP itself. The cardinal vowel diagrams show the RP location of each vowel and the location of major variants. Diphthongal movements are shown by an arrow; pure vowels by a dot.

• Comments about regional variation should be interpreted with caution: to say that an RP vowel is diphthongized in Scots, for example, does not mean that this particular quality is to be found in all varieties of Scots. Any major regional dialect area presents a complex phonetic picture, with many variants reflecting differences in age, social background, sex, and other factors. The vowel qualities referred to in the regional variant column, therefore, are intended to be illustrative, not representative: they relate to just one of the accents which are commonly associated with a region.

Front of tongue raised to slightly below and behind close front position; lips spread; tongue tense; side rims make firm contact with upper molars.

Part of tongue nearer centre than front raised to just above half-close position; lips loosely spread; tongue lax; rims make light con­tact with upper molars.

Front of tongue raised to between half-open and half-close positions; lips loosely spread; tongue tensethan for //; rims make light contact with upper molars.

Front of tongue raised to just below half-open position; lips neutrally open; rims make very slight contact with upper back molars.

Centre of tongue raised to just above fully open position; lips neutrally open; no contact between tongue and upper molars.

Tongue between centre and back in fully open position; lips neutrally open; no contact between rims and upper molars.

Back of tongue in fully open position; slight, open lip rounding; no contact between rims and upper molars.

Back of tongue raised between half-open and half-close positions; medium lip rounding; no contact between rims and upper molars.

Tongue nearer centre than back, raised to just above half-close position; lips closely but loosely rounded; tongue lax; no firm contact between rims and upper molars.

Back of tongue raised to just below close position; lips closely rounded; tongue tense; no firm contact between rims and upper molars.

Centre of tongue raised between half-close and half-open; lips neutrally spread; no firm contact between rims and upper molars.

Centre of tongue raised between half-close and half-open; lips neutrally spread; no firm contact between rims and upper molars.

Glide begins from slightly below half-close front position, moves upwards and slightly backwards towards []; lips spread.

Glide begins slightly behind front open position, moves upwards towards []; lips change from neutral to loosely spread; obvious clos­ing movement of the lower jaw.

Glide begins between back half-open and open positions, moves upwards and for­wards towards [i]; lips open rounded changing to neutral.

Glide begins in cen­tral position between half-close and half-open, moves upwards and back towards []; lips neutral changing to slightly rounded.

Glide begins between back and front open positions, moves upwards and slightly backwards towards []; lips change from neutrally open to slightly rounded; jaw movement quite extensive.

Glide begins in posi­tion for //, moves backwards and downwards towards //; lips neutral, with slight movement from spread to open.

Glide begins in half-open front position, moves backwards towards /c/; lips neu­trally open through­out.

Glide begins in posi­tion for //, moves forwards and down­ward towards /ә/; lips weakly rounded becoming neutrally spread.

ENGLISH CONSONANTS AS UNITS OF THE PHONOLOGICAL SYSTEM.

Sounds can function as units of lge only if they differ from one another. Mutually distinctive speech sounds are called phonemes. As has been pointed out the main method of establishing phonemes of a given lge is the commutation test or discovery of minimal pairs through which the establishment of the phonemic status of each sound is accomplished.

When in a contrastive pair one consonant phoneme is opposed to any other in at least one position, the pair is called minimal.

e.g.: pen – Ben – [p] is opposed to [b] due to the presence and absence of voice (thу only distinctive feature).

If there are more than one distinctive feature in a pair, it is called sub – minimal.

e.g.: treasure – pleasure – is sub – minimal as the opposition is due to a) the presence and absence of voice in [∫ - z]; b) forelingual articulation of the [t] phoneme and bilabial articulation of the [p] phoneme.

Minimal pairs occur in identical, sub – minimal - in similar environment.

The phonological analysis of the system of the Eng. consonant phonemes helps to establish 24 phonemes of the lge.

Classificatory principles suggested by Russian phoneticians provide the basis for the establishment of the following oppositions in the system of consonants of the Eng. lge.:

1. the work of the vocal cords: voiceless :: voiced:

e.g.: plead – bleed, come – gum; peach – beach; cane – gain; pat – bat; tear – dear;

2. the active organ of speech and the place of articulation:

   1. labial :: lingual:

e.g.: pain – cake; bun – ton; fame – tame;

2. lingual :: pharyngal:

e.g.: Tim – him; this – hiss; foam – home; care – hair;

3. within the group of labial: bilabial :: labio – dental:

e.g.: wear – fair;

4. within the group of forelingual: apical :: cacuminal:

e.g.: dim - rim;

5. within the group of lingual: forelingual :: mediolingual:

e.g.: tongue – young;

3. the manner of production of the voice:

   1. occlusive :: constrictive:

e.g.: pine – fine; bat – that; care – there; Bern – fern; bore – thaw; mine – thine; dare – share; bee – thee; came – tame;

2. constrictive :: occlusive – constrictive:

e.g.: fare – chair; fail – Gail; work – jerk;

3. within the group of stops: noise :: nasal consonants:

e.g.: pine – mine; deed – need; boat – moat; kick – king;

4. within the group of constrictives: noise :: sonorants:

e.g.: same – lame; vain – lane; than – when;

5. constrictive unicentral :: constrictive bicentral:

e.g.: same – shame; thine – wine;

6. flat narrowing :: round narrowing:

e.g.: fame – same; vat – sat;

4. position of the soft palate: oral :: nasal

e.g.: pit – pin; seek – seen; thieves – themes; sick – sing.