Monophthongs

The articulatory and acoustic classification of the English vowels

Problems to be discussed:

• Classification of monophthongs
• Classification of diphthongs
• Types of diphthongs

Monophthongs

A monophthong is a "pure“

( unchanging) vowel sound. There are 12 monophthongs in English : [i:], [i], [e], [æ], [α], [o], [o:], [u], [u:], [Λ], [ə:], [ə]

The English monophthongs may be classified according to the following principles:

The English monophthongs may be classified according to the following principles:

1.

2.

3.

4.

According to the tongue position
According to the lip position
According to the length of the vowel
According to the degree of tenseness

According to the position of the bulk of the tongue vowels are divided into 5 groups:

According to the position of the bulk of the tongue vowels are divided into 5 groups:

• [i:], [e], [æ] and the nucleus of [eə]
• [i] and the nucleus of the diphthongs [ai] and [au]
• [Λ], [ə:], [ə] and the nucleus of [əu]
• [o], [o:], [u:] and the nucleus of the diphthong [oi]
• [α:], [u]

Front
Front-retracted
Central
Back
Back-advanced

According to the height of the of the raised part of the tongue vowels are divided into 3 groups:

• Close or High [i:], [i], [u:], [u]
• Open or Low [æ], [α:], [o], [Λ]
• Mid-Open or Mid [e], [ə:], [ə], [o:] and

the nucleus of [eə], [əu]

According to the lip position vowels may be rounded and unrounded

Rounded vowels are

[o], [o:], [u], [u:] and nucleus of [əu], [oi]

Unrounded vowels are

[i:], [i], [e], [æ], [α:], [Λ], [ə:], [ə]

According to the length vowels may be long and short