English Vowel Sounds

This set of flashcards covers the key concepts of English vowel sounds, including definitions of various vowel sounds and descriptions of their properties.

Vowel Description Formula

A system that describes vowels based on four parameters: height (high, mid, low), frontness (front, central, back), tension (tense, lax), and rounding (round, unround).

Tense Vowel

A vowel sound that is produced with a relatively tense tongue and vocal cords, typically longer in duration.

Lax Vowel

A vowel sound that is produced with a more relaxed tongue and vocal cords, typically shorter in duration.

Back Vowels

Vowels produced with the tongue positioned towards the back of the mouth.

/u/ sound

A high back tense rounded vowel, as in 'boot'; tongue is high and back, with rounded lips.

/ʊ/ sound

A high-mid back lax rounded vowel, as in 'book'; tongue is slightly lower than /u/.

/o/ sound

A mid back tense rounded vowel, as in 'boat'; tongue is in a back position, lips are rounded.

/ɔ/ sound

A low-mid back tense rounded vowel, as in 'caught' or 'thought'; slightly lower than /o/.

/ɑ/ sound

A low back tense unrounded vowel, as in 'cot'; produced without rounding the lips.

Diphthong

A complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel sound and glides into another within the same syllable.