Phonema

Vowels Chart

Supported by original recordings the chart shows 12 monophthongs. You can practice all sounds according to the chart or click on any sound to practice it separately.

i:

fleece, sea,
machine

- 1 -

I

kit, bid, hymn,
minute

- 2 -

ɛ

dress, head,
bed, many

- 3 -

æ

trap, bad,
lad, cat

- 4 -

ɑ:

start, father,
car, march

- 5 -

ɒ

lot, odd,
wash, want

- 6 -

ɔ:

thought, law,
north, war

- 7 -

ʊ

foot, good,
put, look

- 8 -

u:

goose, two,
blue, group

- 9 -

ʌ

strut, mud,
love, blood

- 10 -

ɜ:r

nurse, stir,
learn, refer

- 11 -

ə

about, common,
standard

- 12 -

i:

fleece, sea, machine

- 1 -

i

kit, bid, hymn, minute

- 2 -

æ

trap, bad, lad, cat

- 4 -

ɛ

dress, head, bed, many

- 3 -

ɒ

lot, odd, wash, want

- 6 -

ɑ

start, father, car, march

- 5 -

ɔ

thought, law, north, war

- 7 -

ʊ

foot, good, put, look

- 8 -

u:

goose, two, blue, group

- 9 -

ʌ

strut, mud, love, blood

- 10 -
HOME

ə

about, common

- 12 -

ɜ:r

nurse, stir, learn, refer

- 11 -

VOWELS QUADRILATERAL

The quadrilateral represents the tongue position on two axes: frontness and height. Emojis represent roundness and openness of each sound. Semi-colon (:) represents long vowels.

Emojis were inspired by the most magnificent trinity of professors of the Philological Department of LMSU: I.M. Maguidova, S.V. Decheva and M.Y. Prokhorova.

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i:

Description

high-front, unrounded, close, long

How to produce

1. Move your tongue up to the roof of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the front part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Make your mouth nearly closed

5. Prolong the vowel

Pronounce the following words:
beat, seed, teen, sleep, tea

I

Description

high-front, unrounded, open, short

How to produce

1. Move your tongue up to the roof of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the front part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)

Pronounce the following words:
sit, cringe, kid, bit, tin

ɛ

Description

mid-front, unrounded, half-open, short

How to produce

1. Move your tongue to the middle of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the front part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)

Pronounce the following words:
led, head, met, dead, fret

Watch this Episode of Transcription Today to Learn how to pronounce this sound properly:

æ

Description

low-front, unrounded, short, open

How to produce

1. Move your tongue down to the floor of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the front part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth wide

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)

Pronounce the following words:
bat, sad, mat, act, swag

a:

Description

low-back, unrounded, open, long

How to produce

1. Move your tongue down to the floor of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the back part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth

5. Prolong the vowel

Pronounce the following words:
star, car, far, mark, Stark

ɒ

Description

low-back, rounded, open, short

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue down to the floor of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the back part of your oral cavity

3. Round your lips

4. Open your mouth

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)

Pronounce the following words:
hot, lot, what, wash, rot

ɔ:

Description

mid-back, rounded, half-open, long

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue to the middle of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the back part of your oral cavity

3. Round your lips

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Prolong the vowel

Pronounce the following words:
lord, war, store, thought, core

ʊ

Description

high-back, rounded, close, short

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue up to the roof of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the back part of your oral cavity

3. Round your lips

4. Make your mouth nearly closed

5.  Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)

Pronounce the following words:
put, hood, look, took, hook

u:

Description

high-back, rounded, close, long

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue up to the roof of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the back part of your oral cavity

3. Round your lips

4. Make your mouth nearly closed

5.  Prolong the vowel 

Pronounce the following words:
good, group, blue, use, who‘d

ʌ

Description

mid-central, unrounded, open, short

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue down to the floor of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the central part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short) 

Pronounce the following words:
hut, cup, love, Hudd, mud

ɜ:

Description

mid-central, unrounded, half-open, long

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue to the middle of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the central part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Prolong the vowel 

Pronounce the following words:
stir, heard, refer, fur, bird

ə (shwa)

Description

mid-central, unrounded, half-open, short, always unstressed

How to produce​

1. Move your tongue to the middle of your mouth

2. The highest part of your tongue should be positioned in the central part of your oral cavity

3. Spread your lips (do not round them)

4. Open your mouth slightly

5. Do not prolong the vowel (it’s short)  

Mind that this vowel is pronounced only if not stressed. If under stress, it might be any of the other 11

Pronounce the following words:
about, ticket, river, vanilla, common

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