Vowel Analysis Notes

Analyzing Vowels

This document provides an analysis of the pronunciation of specific vowels in the words "market", "front", and "other". The analysis is based on comparative pronunciation by British and American speakers, with references to visual data retrieved from Praat images.

Word Analysis

1. Market

• Reference Pronunciation: Utilized the Cambridge Dictionary for standard reference.
• Pronunciation Focus: American pronunciation for the word "market" was emphasized.
• Praat Images:
  • Figure 1: Depicts a male British speaker and a female American speaker pronouncing the word "market".
  • Figure 2: Shows the analysis of the pronunciation of "market" by the student.
• Personal Observations:
  • Upon reviewing the pronunciation, the student noted the articulation of the 'r' sound.
  • Each syllable was delineated as mar.kit, which is more consistent with the American pronunciation style.
  • Some instances of rapid speech resulted in a closer resembling of the British pronunciation.

2. Front

• Reference Usage: The word "front" was utilized in the description of the first image.
• Praat Images:
  • Figure 3: Displays the pronunciation of the word "front" by a female British speaker and a male American speaker.
  • Figure 4: Shows the template for male and female vowels to determine pronunciation.
  • Figure 5: Includes the student's Praat analysis image for the pronunciation of "front".
• Analysis of Pronunciation:
  • The vowel used in the student's pronunciation was examined against the template and found to be positioned approximately between the sounds /ʌ/ and /ɑː/.
  • The student's pronunciation leaned more towards /ɑː/, indicating a distinct variation from both British and American pronunciations; however, it retained similarities to the sounds produced by those speakers.
  • Notably, the final /t/ sound was weakly pronounced, possibly due to the speed of speech.
  • This tendency was similarly observed in the pronunciation of the word "and", where the final 'd' was also barely audible.

3. Other

• Praat Images:
  • Figure 6: Illustrates the pronunciation of "other" by both British and American speakers.
  • Figure 7: Displays the student's pronunciation analysis of the word "other".
• Pronunciation Analysis:
  • The student's pronunciation suggests usage of American pronunciation, particularly due to the lack of an audible /r/ sound at the end.
  • The pitch variations and formant patterns observed in the Praat image are more indicative of American pronunciation traits than British ones.