English Vowel Sounds

Part I Juan Soto, M. A.

NOTICE

•  Spelling is not a full trust worthy source for the pronunciation of English words. Some vowels can be placed in the same order in a word, but that does not necessarily mean that they will be pronounced the same way. For instance: read vs. read (past tense); lead vs. lead (metal)

/əә/ schwa (1of 9)

•  Schwa is the most common sound in English. It appears in every vowel (a, e, i, o, u)

•  Open your mouth slightly and let some noise out to produce this sound. It’s a short sound

•  It appears in unstressed syllables •  Examples:

ago effect partial method upon

/ɪ/ (2 of 9)

•  Keep your lips relaxed and slightly open •  It is a short sound •  Examples:

gym sieve women If build busy pretty English

/u/ or /ʊ/ (3 of 9)

•  Push your lips forward to make an open circle •  The sound is short •  The jaw is slightly open •  Examples:

put look would wolf woman

/iy/ or /i/ (4 of 9) •  Spread your lips to form a ‘big smile’ •  The sound is long •  Examples:

be the honey eat people amoeba either niece mommy sweetie ski police suite chassis debris chamois NOTE: The last three words come from French so DO NOT pronounce the final ‘s’.

/uw/ or /u/ (5 of 9) •  Tense your lips as you push forward •  Make a small circle •  The sound is long •  Examples:

do lose loose two food flu rude due new canoe through juice lieu rheumatism NOTE: The word ‘lieu’ comes from French.

/iuw/ (6 of 9)

•  This sound combines /iy/ and /uw/ •  The sound is short •  Examples:

use music few view beauty you hue ewe

/ʌ/ (7 of 9)

•  Keep your mouth slightly open •  The sound is short •  Examples:

up cousin trouble rough flood goes was

/ɛ/ (8 of 9)

•  Spread your lips in a half-smile •  Lower your jaw slightly •  The sound is short •  Examples:

egg step any again said says head leopard friend guest bury

/ow/ or /o/ (9 of 9)

•  Lips move from a bigger to a smaller circle •  The sound is long •  Examples:

over go plateau owner slow oh depot though hoe groan sew soul bone brooch mauve faux NOTE: The last two words come from French.

CREDITS

•  Yates, J. (2005) Pronounce it Perfectly in English (2nd Edition). Barron’s Educational Services: China