Unrounded Front Close Vowel: Description
Unrounded Front Close Vowel: Description
Unrounded Front Close Vowel: Description
Description The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point slightly below and behind front close position. The lips are spread as for a photographic smile. The tongue is tense with the side rims making a firm contact with the upper molars.
Quality Strength: inherently long and strong The sound is relatively long; It is shortened to different degrees in syllables closed by a voiceless consonant (t) and in unstressed syllables. When the syllable is closed by a voiceless consonant the sound is shortened. E.g.: meat / teeth / feet /
Position Initial: eat, easy, east Medial: teach, cathedral, obese, bead Final: degree, agree, tea, pea Since it is a long vowel does not occur before /
Common Spellings All ee: tree / / cheese /:/ canteen /k/ be / / these //
Most e: complete /k /
sea / /
Less common i: machine // police // prestige / / suite / Exceptions: quay // people /()/
phoenix //
Quality Strength: short and weak Centralized, raised to the C3[e] Three types of sounds vowel should be considered: Position Initial: egressive, initial, immigrant Medial: Larynx, frill, drill, glottis Final: city, early, tyranny Occurs very frequently in unaccented syllables Close, tense, long as in [i:] Close, tense, short as in [i] (neutral, only in final position) Half close, lax, short as in []
rhythm / symbol
Common e: pretty houses / Less common ie: ladies / Less common a: village / Exceptions: build / women Endings with:
needed /
except /
Sunday / minute(n) /
Beginnings with:
be-: begin, between, become se-: sedition, select de-: deposit, deny, desire
-ily: primarily, easily, happily etc. -ate: fortunate, chocolate, candidate etc. -ible: posible, visible etc. -em: problem, item, system etc -ess: useless, goodness etc. -ace: necklace, palace, preface etc. -age: manage, village etc.
Description
The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point between the close-mid and open-mid positions. The lips are loosely spread and slightly wider apart than for The tongue may have more tension than in the case of
Quality
Strength: short and strong Between C[] and C[ ] Spanish speakers should be careful not to confuse this sound with They should open their mouth wider than for and drop their lower jaw slightly.
Position
Initial: ethnic, enter, egg Medial: message, lesson, tender, dress Does not occur in final open syllables.
Common spellings
Common e: bed
set
went / head /
Less common ea: breath Less common a: many Exceptions: says / Leicester /
dead
Thames
Description
The front of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a position midway just above open, with the side rims making a very slight contact with the upper molars. The lips are neutrally open. They are spread as in social smile.
Quality
Strength: Short and strong Just above [a] Spanish speakers tend to use Spanish [e] or [a], while [ ] is in fact half way between both. The distance between the jaws is wider than for /e/
Position
Initial: algebra, absent, apple Medial: grammar, fat, exam, carol, mechanic Does not occur in final open syllables.
Common spellings
lamp /
macho / hat /
marry / bad
sat
Exceptions: plait /
plaid /
Description
A part of the tongue nearer to the centre and the back is in its fully open position. The lips are neutrally open. No contact between the rims of the tongue and the upper molars.
Quality
Difference of length according o whether it occurs in a syllable closed by a voiceless or voiced consonant. The tip of the tongue must remain low in the mouth to avoid an intrusive /r/ sound before consonants and pause.
Position
Initial: aunt, arent, ask Medial: car, bath, heart Final: par Does not normally occur before //
Common spellings
car /
Less common er: sergeant / Less common au: aunt / Exceptions: guard /
derby /
laugh/
Remember that some of these words need to be shortened, especially those with voiceless /t/ /f/ /t/ /k/ // // within the final syllable.
Description
The back of the tongue is raised. It is raised to a point just above the open position. Open jaws and slight open lip-rounded, but not push forward (not protruded). No contact between the tongue and the upper molars.
Quality
Strength: short and strong It is like open lip-rounded C[] // not // - Spanish speakers tend to pronounce // with too close a tongue position, failing to make the difference between these two contrastive units.
Position
Initial: office, object, odd Medial: cough, knowledge, watch, clock Does not occur in final open syllables.
Common spellings
All o: dog /
cod /
bonk /
All o + double consonant: sorry / bottle / All ock: dock / clock / block /
Some a: wash / watch / Less common ou, ow: cough / Less common au: because / Australia / Exceptions: yatch /