English vowel vs English vowel sound

Basic idea about Vowel and Vowel sound in the English Language

In English, a vowel is a letter of the alphabet that represents a specific speech sound. The English language has five vowels: A, E, I, O, and U. These letters can represent both short and long vowel sounds, as well as other variations, depending on the word and the surrounding letters.

On the other hand, an English vowel sound refers to the actual sound produced when a vowel is pronounced. English has a total of 20 vowel sounds, which can be divided into short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs. These sounds are produced by the positioning of the tongue, lips, and other articulators in the mouth.

It’s important to note that not all English vowel sounds are represented by vowel letters in the alphabet. For example, the “oo” sound in “book” and the “i” sound in “bird” are both vowel sounds, but are represented by different letters.

In summary, a vowel is a letter in the English alphabet that represents a speech sound, while an English vowel sound refers to the actual sound produced when a vowel is pronounced.

Types of Vowel sound

In English, there are three main types of vowel sounds:

Short Vowels: These are the most common vowel sounds in English, and they are typically produced quickly and with less emphasis. Examples include the vowel sounds in “cat”, “bed”, and “sit”.

Long Vowels: These vowel sounds are longer in duration than short vowels and are often emphasized in pronunciation. Long vowels are produced by holding the sound longer and opening the mouth wider. Examples include the vowel sounds in “beet”, “bay”, and “bought”.

Diphthongs:
These are vowel sounds that consist of two distinct sounds pronounced together. Diphthongs are often found in English words with the letters “oi”, “oy”, “ou”, “ow”, and “ea”. Examples include the vowel sounds in “oil”, “toy”, “out”, “now”, and “beach”.

In addition to these main types, there are also a few other types of vowel sounds in English, including:

Schwa:
This is a weak, unstressed vowel sound that occurs frequently in English. The schwa sound is often represented by the vowel sound in “the” or the second syllable of “sofa”.

R-Colored Vowels: These are vowel sounds that are modified by the presence of the letter “r” in the word. Examples include the vowel sounds in “car”, “bird”, and “fur”.

Conclusion, English has a total of 20 vowel sounds, which can be categorized into these different types of vowel sounds.

English Short Vowel sound 

English short vowel phonemes are the sounds made by the 5 vowel letters in English when they are pronounced in a short form. These vowel sounds are typically shorter in duration and less emphasized compared to their long vowel counterparts. Here is an elaboration of each English short vowel phoneme:

/æ/ (as in “cat”): This sound is pronounced by keeping the tongue low and front in the mouth, with the lips slightly spread. The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords while air is forced out through the mouth.

/ɛ/ (as in “bed”): This sound is produced by keeping the tongue low and front, with the lips relaxed and slightly open. The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords while air is forced out through the mouth.

/ɪ/ (as in “sit”): This sound is pronounced by keeping the tongue high and front in the mouth, with the lips slightly spread. The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords while air is forced out through the mouth.

/ɒ/ (as in “hot”): This sound is produced by rounding the lips and keeping the tongue low and back in the mouth. The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords while air is forced out through the mouth.

/ʌ/ (as in “up”): This sound is pronounced by keeping the tongue low and back in the mouth, with the lips slightly spread. The sound is made by vibrating the vocal cords while air is forced out through the mouth.

It’s important to note that these short vowel sounds can vary depending on the word and the surrounding letters. For example, the /ɪ/ sound in “sit” can be pronounced differently in the word “find” due to the influence of the consonant blend “nd”. It’s also common for non-native speakers of English to struggle with differentiating between these short vowel sounds, as some of them may not exist in their native language.

The schwa is considered as a short vowels

The schwa sound is a very common vowel sound in English and is represented by the symbol /ə/. It is known as a reduced vowel, meaning it is pronounced with less emphasis or stress than other vowel sounds. The schwa sound is often referred to as the “neutral vowel” or the “lazy vowel” because it is pronounced with a relaxed tongue and mouth position and is not easily identifiable.

The schwa sound is commonly found in unstressed syllables, particularly in multi-syllabic words where it often occurs in the second or third syllable. Some examples of words with the schwa sound include “about,” “above,” “comedy,” “sofa,” “mother,” and “around.” In these words, the schwa sound is typically pronounced with a short and unstressed syllable.

One reason why the schwa sound is so common in English is because it helps with the rhythm and flow of the language. By reducing the vowel sound in unstressed syllables, it allows speakers to quickly and efficiently move through a sentence without having to stress every syllable. However, for non-native speakers of English, the schwa sound can be difficult to recognize and pronounce because it is not a distinct sound like the other vowels.

How do English short vowels articulate

English short vowels are produced by placing the tongue in a relatively neutral position in the mouth and producing a short, crisp sound. Here is an explanation of each English short vowel sound:

/æ/ (as in “cat”): This sound is produced with the tongue low and front in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

/ɛ/ (as in “bed”): This sound is produced with the tongue low and front in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

/ɪ/ (as in “sit”): This sound is produced with the tongue low and front in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

/ɒ/ (as in “hot”): This sound is produced with the tongue low and back in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

/ʌ/ (as in “cut”): This sound is produced with the tongue in a neutral position in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

/ʊ/ (as in “book”): This sound is produced with the tongue in a neutral position in the mouth, with the mouth slightly open. The sound is created by a quick release of air.

It’s important to note that the actual pronunciation of these short vowel sounds can vary depending on the word and the surrounding letters, and the actual pronunciation may differ from region to region or accent to accent.

English vowel vs English vowel sound

Here is a table summarizing the differences between English vowel and English vowel sound:

English Vowel	English Vowel Sound
A, E, I, O, U	20 different sounds, including short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs
Represented by letters in the English alphabet	Produced by the positioning of the tongue, lips, and other articulators in the mouth
Can represent both short and long vowel sounds, as well as other variations	Some vowel sounds are not represented by vowel letters in the alphabet
Examples: A in “cat”, E in “bed”, I in “sit”, O in “hot”, U in “cut”	Examples: /i:/ in “beet”, /eɪ/ in “bay”, /ɑ:/ in “car”, /ɔ:/ in “bought”, /u:/ in “boot”

 

 

In summary, the main differences between English vowel and English vowel sound are that vowels are represented by letters in the English alphabet and can represent different sounds, while vowel sounds are produced by the positioning of the tongue, lips, and other articulators in the mouth. . and can have different representations.

 

Complement কি ও কত প্রকার | Subject complement| Object Complement

complement 

References

“English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course” by Peter Roach

“English Phonology: An Introduction” by Heinz J. Giegerich

“An Introduction to English Phonetics” by Richard Ogden

“English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Guide” by Beverley Collins and Inger M. Mees

“The Sounds of English: An Introduction to Phonetics” by Joseph A. DeVito

“Phonology: An Introduction” by John Goldsmith

“English Phonology: An Introduction” by Jonathan Culpeper

“Phonetics and Phonology of English Intonation” by Carlos Gussenhoven

“The Handbook of English Pronunciation” edited by Marnie Reed and John M. Levis

“Phonetics and Phonology of English” by Beverley Collins and Inger M. Mees.