Vowels:

• All vowels are oral sounds (articulated through mouth, sometimes partially nasal)

• All vowels are voiced

• Are characterized by free flow of air through the oral cavity

• Distinguishing features are made by tongue position

Opinions:

1. some say of 12 vowels, excluding difthongues

2. sm speak of 20 vowels, 2 monoft. + 8 diphthongues

3. sm speak of 21 vowels (Russian linguists)

monof. – vowels, pronounced in a way that during pronunciation organs of speech do not change their position

dif. – when pronouncing, organs start in the position of one vowel and gradually move to the position of other vowel. 1^st vowel – nucleus, 2^nd - a glide

[ei] [ai] [oi]

[au] [ou]

[iэ] [iэ] [iэ]

American dif-s [ai] [au] [oi]

Sm single out [oэ]

May be classified according to:

-position of the tongue (horizontal, neither advanced nor retrected)

-position of lips

-acc 2 length

-acc 2 degree of tenseness

Unstressed vocalism of English

Neutral ə

Occur only in unstressed position

Can perform distinctive fs only when opposed to other unstressed vowels

Neutral ə is a core of unstressed voc of English. All allophones are known in ling as schwa vowel

Independent phonemic status of neutral vowels provided by lots of mp where schwa is opposed to other neutral vowels. [ə] – [i] \ [ə] – [ou]

Semi-weak vowels – vowels, lying between strong and neutral vowels

[o] – [ou]

careful style [o] - [o’bei]

colloquial style [ə] - [ə ‘bei]

full style [ou] – [ou’bei]

a product of partial reduction

s-w vowels are never opposed to the corresponding vowels of full-formation or neutral vowels

Vowels of full formation

The system of English consonantal phonemes

Manner\place		bilabial	Labial-dental	interdental	alveolar	velar	glottal
occlusive	Plosives	P, b, m			T, d, n	K, g, ŋ
	Affricates				t∫ , d٤
constrictive	Fricatives		F, v	Ǿ, ð	∫, s, z, ٤		h
	sonorants				L, r	j

English Segmental Phonemes in Writing

Language performs its function as an important medium of human inter-communication not only in oral, but also in written form. Material integument of written language is made by graphic symbols – letters and hieroglyphics.

Of the aims of phonetics is to study the connection between the oral speech and its graphical representation.

English language is known for irregularities of spelling, due to different principles of orthography.