LING 101, unit 1, section 6

vowels

sonorous and syllabic with the v tract more open than consonants and glides

different vowels made

by diff placement of tongue body

rounded vowels

w/ protruding lips

nasal vowels

w/ lowered velum

tense or lax vowels

based on the degree of v tract constriction

simple vowels

no noticeable change in quality during articulation

diphthongs

vowels that have change in quality in 1 syllable

• having one doesn’t add a syllable

• in english change is due to tongue moving from initial vowel to glide position

major diphthongs

change in articulation is extreme

• ex: boy, buy, now

minor diphthongs

change is less dramatic

mid vowels

tongue neither raised nor lowered

• ex; made

tense vowels

greater vocal tract constriction

lax vowels

same tongue position as tense but less constricted

• in English monosyllabic words in isolation don’t end in lax words

schwa

a reduced vowel

• both lax and has a briefer duration

• frequent in unstressed syllables

minimal pairs

same except voice vs voiceless