English Phonetics & Phonology: Speech Production & Vowel Systems

A set of vocabulary flashcards defining key articulators, sound classifications, cardinal vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs from Chapters 2 and 3.

Articulators

Parts of the mouth and vocal tract that touch each other or get close to shape air into different speech sounds.

Pharynx

A tube right above the larynx (about 7 cm long in women and 8 cm long in men) that splits at the top into paths leading to the mouth and nose.

Soft Palate (Velum)

The soft back part of the roof of the mouth that moves up to block air from going through the nose or stays down to let air pass through.

Velar Sounds

Speech sounds made when the tongue touches the soft palate, such as k and g.

Hard Palate

The smooth, curved bony roof of the mouth located right behind the soft palate.

Palatal Sound

A speech sound made with the tongue close to the hard palate, such as the j sound in 'yes'.

Alveolar Ridge

The bumpy ridge located directly behind the upper front teeth, before the hard palate.

Alveolar Sounds

Speech sounds made by touching the tongue to the alveolar ridge, such as t, d, and n.

Dental Sounds

Speech sounds made with the tongue touching the front teeth, such as θ and ð in 'think' and 'this'.

Bilabial

Speech sounds produced by pressing both lips together, such as p, b, and m.

Labiodental

Speech sounds produced when the lip touches the upper teeth, such as f and v.

Vowels

Speech sounds produced where air flows out with no obstruction.

Consonants

Speech sounds produced where air is blocked or made difficult to pass.

Cardinal Vowels

A reference map of all possible vowel sounds a human mouth can make, written in square brackets [ ].

Close Vowels

Vowel sounds produced with the tongue high and close to the roof of the mouth, such as [i] and [u].

Open Vowels

Vowel sounds produced with the tongue positioned low in the mouth, such as [a] and [ɑ].

Primary Cardinal Vowels

The 8 standard cardinal vowels (numbered 1–8) positioned around the vowel quadrilateral: [i], [e], [ɛ], [a], [ɑ], [ɔ], [o], [u].

English Long Vowels

Five English vowels (i:, ɜ:, ɑ:, ɔ:, u:) that are longer in duration and distinct in sound quality compared to short vowels, written with a length mark (:).

Pure Vowel

A vowel sound that stays constant without gliding from one vowel quality to another.

Diphthong

A glide or movement from one vowel sound to another within the same syllable, where the first part is long and strong and the second part is short and weak.

Centring Diphthongs

Diphthongs that glide toward the schwa sound (ə), including ɪə, eə, and ʊə.

Closing Diphthongs

Diphthongs that glide toward a closer vowel, ending either in ɪ (eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ) or in ʊ (əʊ, aʊ).

Triphthong

A glide from one vowel sound to another and then to a third, spoken quickly without stopping; formed by adding ə to the end of a closing diphthong.