English vowels 2012 plc

English Vowel TriangleFall 2012

How many vowel sounds do you think are in

standard American English?

How many vowel sounds do you think are in

standard American English?

22 !

English Pure Vowels - Guess

English Pure Vowels

Ɔ

u

ɑ

oƱ

i

eƐ

æ

I

Joan Wall, International Phonetic Alphabet for Singers (1989), p. 15


Its approximate present form came from Daniel Jones of University College. London. and is known as the Vowel Diagram. It was developed by superimposing X-ray images of the position of the tongue when articulating various vowels. The Vowel Diagram indicates the position of the high point of the tongue during thearticulation of each vowel.

Forward vowels: [i] beet [ɪ] bit [e] chaotic [ɛ] bet [æ] bat [a] bright ah (mostly used in diphthongs)

Back vowels: [u] boot [ʊ] book [o] obey (pure [o] seldom used) [ɔ] saw [ɑ] father

Central vowels: [ʌ] up (stressed 'uh') [ə] about (unstressed 'uh,' schwa) [ɝ] herd (stressed, r-colored vowel) [ɜ] herd (NOT r-colored) [ɚ] butter (unstressed, r-colored vowel)

Diphthongs: [eɪ] bait[difθɔŋ] [oʊ] boat [aɪ] bite [aʊ] ouch [ɔɪ] boy [ju] use

We begin with vowels because they are harder to comprehend and execute than consonants!

Remember: a pure vowel = one sound

But in English we have diphthongs too!!

A pure vowel sound consists of only one distinct vowel sound; a diphthong is a distinct vowel until made up of two pure vowel sounds.


Description of Vowels

They are unrestrictedThe teeth, tongue, and lips do not prevent airflow

They are normally voiced

It has ‘pitch’ – and can be whispered.

They can be sustainedAs long as you have breath, you can sustain a vowel sound

They have shape or form

And they are the core of the syllable

Four Factors that Affect Shaping and Coupling of Resonators1. Jaw position – opening of mouth

and throat

2. Lip position – spreading or rounding

3. Tongue position – arching forward or backward

4. Raised Soft Palate

Raised soft palate1. Resonates: enhances the

vibration and magnifies the sound

2. Resonator of Human voice is oral cavity, pharynx, throat, and chest

3. (resonator of violin is the box)

Back pure vowels: tongue is thickened in the back while producing these sounds

Bac

k Vo

wel

s

Front pure vowels: tongue is thickened in the front while producing these sounds

Front Vowels

English Pure Vowels

Ɔ

u

ɑ

oƱ

i

eƐ

æ

I

English Back Pure Vowels

Ɔ

u

ɑ

oƱ

English Back Pure Vowels

Ɔ

u

ɑ

oƱ

blue

Brown sugar

opaqueauburn

aqua

English Front Pure Vowels

i

eƐ

æ

I

English Front Pure Vowels

i

eƐ

æ

Igreenindigo

red

black

grey

Things to note from the reading:

Feel/hear the difference in similar words:pin [pɪn] and pen [pɛn] or marry [mærɪ] and merry [mɛrɪ]

Look to pages 14 and 15 for a discussion on how the vowel triangle was created. Cool right?

Okay, so I still pronounce alveolar not quite right. Look to page 16 to help me out! [ˌæl ˈviəlɚ]

Also, get = [gɛt] not [gɪt]

Fun practice (from pg 17):[i] [ɪ] [eɪ] [ɛ] [æ]beet bit bait bet batmeet mitt mate met matDean din dane den Dan

[i] Potential Problems Diphthongs created by adding

a schwa [ə]: feel, meal, yield

Feel = [fil] not [fiəl]

Meal = [mil] not [miəl]

Yield = [jild] not [jiəld]

(this problem usually occurs when an [i] is followed by an “l”)

Practice phrases: He shall speak peace unto the heathen Free to be me, God, I really am free. Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me

Spellings:1. Quay

2. She

3. Breathe

4. Green

5. Conceive

6. People

7. Key

8. believe

English Pure Front Vowels

[I]

Potential Problems Substitution of [i]: been,

beautiful, pretty, eternal Vowel reduction: When

this sound is unstressed, sometimes American singers turn it into a schwa [Ə]

Before “ng” “m” or “n”, an “i” is almost always pronounced [I], as in bring, simple, and thin. Sometimes the [I] becomes over nasalized.

Practice phrases: Because I have been given

much, I too must give That her iniquity is pardoned Sure on this shining night

Spellings:1. indigo

2. Busy

3. behold


[e]

Potential Problems Creating triphthongs

where you only want diphthongs

wait = [weɪt] not [wɛeɪt] sail = [seɪl] not [seɪəl]

male = [meɪl] not [meɪəl]Practice phrases:

Embraceable You I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise Who Cares?

[e] rarely appears in English by itself. It is almost always part of the diphthong [eɪ]

Examples for [e]: chaotic, vacation, fatality

Examples for [eɪ]:1. aim

2. Came

3. bay

4. made

5. ate

6. Ale

7. sailEnglish Pure Front Vowels

[ɛ] Potential Problems Substitution of [ɪ] for [ɛ] Substitution of [ɝ] for [ɛ]

(as in ’Amuhrica’) Insertion of [ə] between [ɛ] and

[l] (as in [wɛəl] for ’well’) Substitution of [eɪ] for [ɛ]

(as in [heɪd] for head,

or [leɪg] for leg)

Practice phrases: Let’s Kiss and Make Up The Best of Everything Heaven on Earth [hɛvən ɑn ɝθ]

Examples:1. red

2. death

3. twenty

4. head

5. get

6. treasure

7. guess


[æ]Potential Problems

The insertion of a schwa [ə] after [æ] before a final consonant. As in [hæət] for ‘hat’

Nasalizing [æ] when it proceeds m, n, or ng. (This is my main problem!)

Practice phrases: Sam and Delilah Little Jazz Bird Fascinating Rhythm

Examples:1. add

2. lamb

3. sang

4. Pan

5. plaid

6. black

7. Sad


Reminder of Vowel chart:

Ɔ

u

ɑ

oƱ

i

eƐ

æ

I

[u]

Potential Problems (see p. 56 in book) Nasal Insufficient lip rounding Insertion [kul] vs. [kuəl]

Practice phrases: Were you there when they crucified my

Lord? I love you, truly. In a sentimental mood.

Spellings:1. grew

2. you

3. too

4. to

5. two

6. blue

English Pure Back Vowels

[ʊ]

Potential Problems Substitution (diphthong)

[ə, u]

Practice phrases: The crooked straight. My faith looks up to Thee. Man is made for the woman and the

woman for the man.

Spellings:1. sugar

2. took

3. could


[o]

Potential Problems Substitution (diphthong)

Practice phrases: For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Come, every soul by sin oppressed. Memory, hither come and tune your merry

notes.

Spellings:1. Violet

2. Opaque

In American English, the sound [o] is only used in unstressed, rhythmically short syllables.

“Soul” and “notes” do not contain the [o] sound because they only have one syllable, and therefore, are stressed.



[Ɔ]

Potential Problems Insertion of diphthong Inadequate mouth

opening

Practice phrases: That they may offer unto the Lord an

offering in righteousness I saw the cross of Jesus Autumn leaves are now falling

Spellings:1. Auburn

2. Moss

3. Fall

4. Awkward


[ɑ]Potential Problems

Insufficient lowering of jaw Spreading lips, as in a grin Retracting the body of tongue Substitution of briɡht [a] for back [ɑ]

Practice phrases: Sing alleluia to the Lord Stir thy church, O God, our Father Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la

la . . . . .

Spellings:1. aqua

2. got


Vowel Reduction

Vowel reduction: This sound is typically a schwa [ə], although there are other vowels that can be unstressed or reduced. A reduced vowel is a vowel that can only occur in unstressed syllables, like schwa, and an unstressed vowel is a vowel that can be stressed but is not. Before “ng”, “I” {I} is pronounced [I], as in bring, sing, and think

Typical spellings for vowel reduction of [I] is -ly, -y, -ies, and –ing. Any words with these suffixes have reduced vowels

[ʌ] This sound occurs only in stressed syllables. This includes those

instances where “un” is a prefix emphasizing negation of the root word

Spellings: above, us, plum, fuzzy, undone, blood, trouble

Potential problems: substitution of [ɑ] j fuzzy/fozie, was, love, one, son

PRACTICE PHRASES

Unto us a Son is givenWhat wondrous love is thisI wonder as I wander out under the sky

Above = [Ə.bʌv]

[Ə] This sound occurs only in unstressed syllables. This includes those instances

where “un” is a prefix emphasizing negation of the root word

Spellings: magenta, angel, evil, a, of the, cotton, passion, upon

The sound only occurs in unstressed syllables or words

Because in singing every syllable must have a vowel sound, [Ə] is used in singing certain syllables which are spoken without a vowels sound, as in little and people

The schwa is a variable, weakly-defined sound. Other sounds in

unstressed syllables: [ɪ] happiness, prepare, remember, receive, rejoice

PRACTICE PHRASES Unto us a Son is given Hark! The herald angels sing When I think upon the maidens

Angel and Evil

Angel:

Evil:

Ə

ʌɛɚ

[3] Spellings: bird, purple, ever, counselor, forward, earth,

journey, timbre, martyr

Potential problems: Some authorities avoid this sound, preferring [ʌ] in stressed syllables and [Ə] in unstressed syllables: Bud-bird; but-Bert

Bird = [b3d] vs. bud = [bʌd]

Bert = [b3t] vs. but [bʌt]

Practice phrases: Wonderful Counselor, the everlasting Father Let all the world in every corner sing I wonder as I wander out under the sky

[3]Spellings: bird, purple, earth, journey, service, word, purse

[bɜrd] [pɜrpl] [ɜrθ] [jɜrni] [sɜrvɪs] [wɜrd] [pɜrs]

This sound only appears in stressed syllables!

This sound is called the “r-less” ur. It is preferred by many singing teachers, and they substitute the sound often instead of [ɝ].

The main difference between an “r-colored” ur [ɝ] and an “r-less” ur [ɜ] is that the [ɝ] is produced with the tip of the tongue raised and suspended in the center of the mouth and the [ɜ] is produced with the tip of the tongue down behind the bottom front teeth.

Southerners sometimes even drop the r’s out of words: Bird = [b3d] Herd = [hɜd] Learn = [lɜn] (look to board)

[ɚ]Spellings: giver altar murder actor summer

[gɪvɚ] [ɔltɚ] [mɝdɚ] [æktɚ] [sʌmɚ]

This sound only appears in unstressed syllables!

Although the unstressed ur [ɚ] has the same sound as the stressed ur [ɝ], it is more lax and shorter in duration, and used only in unstressed syllables. Sometimes it is called a hooked schwa.

Some voice teachers will have you transcribe like this (kenning):giver altar murder actor summer[gɪvər] [ɔltər] [mɜrdər] [æktər] [sʌmər]

Education

English vowels 2012 plc