Короткі теоретичні відомості. The first linguist who tried to describe and classify vowels for all languages was D

The first linguist who tried to describe and classify vowels for all languages was D. Jones. He devised the system of 8 Cardinal Vowels. The basis of the system is physiological. Cardinal vowel No. 1 corresponds to the position of the front part of the tongue raised as closed as possible to the palate. The gradual lowering of the tongue to the back lowest position gives another point for cardinal vowel No.5. The lowest front position of the tongue gives the point for cardinal vowel No.4. The upper back limit for the tongue position gives the point for cardinal No.8. These positions for Cardinal vowels were copied from X-ray photographs. The tongue positions between these points were X-rayed and the equidistant points for No.2, 3, 6, 7 were found. The IPA symbols (International Phonetic Alphabet) for the 8 Cardinal Vowels are: 1 -i, 2 - e, 3 - ε, 4 - a, 5 - a:, 6 -, 7 - o, 8 - u.

 

 

The system of Cardinal Vowels is an international standard. In spite of the theoretical significance of the Cardinal Vowel system its practical application is limited.

Vowels – are voiced sounds produced without any obstruction in the pharyngal and nasal cavities and consequently have no noise component.

        

On the articulatory level the description of vowels notes changes:

1. In the stability of articulation.

2. In the tongue position.

3. In the lip position.

4. In the character of vowel end.

Besides vowels differ in respect of their length

The Lip Position

    Lip position is an important factor in description of vowels, and three main types are recognized.

- rounded – when the lips are pushed forwards into the shape of a circle.

- spread – where the corners of the lips are moved away from each other, as in a smile.

- neutral – where the lips are not noticeably rounded or spread.

The Stability of Articulation

All English vowels are divided into three groups: pure vowels or monophthongs, diphthongs and diphthongoids.

    Monophthongs – are vowels the articulation of which is almost unchanging. The quality of such vowel is relatively pure. The English monophthongs are [i, e, æ, a:, A, L, P, з:, ә]

    Diphthongs. In the pronunciation of diphthongs the organs of speech glide from one vowel position to another within one syllable. The starting point, the nucleus, is strong and distinct. The glide which shows the direction of the quality change is very weak. In fact diphthongs consist of two clearly perceptible vowel elements. The English diphthongs are: [ei, ai, Oi, aV, зV, iә, εə, uə]

Diphthongoids. In the pronunciation of diphthongoids the articulation is slightly changing but the difference between the starting point and the end is not so distinct as it is in the case of diphthongs. There are two diphthongoids in English

[u:, i:].

Triphthongs are vowels in which three vowel qualities can be perceived. The vowels in such words as player \pleiә\, fire \faiә\royal [rOiәl], tower [taVə]can be all analysed in this way. No new symbols are required, however, as each can be seen as a combination of a diphthong +\ә\.

Tongue position. The changes in the position of the tongue determine largely the shape of the mouth and pharyngeal cavities. The tongue may move forward and backward, up and down, thus changing the quality of vowel sounds.

(1) When the tongue moves forward and backward various parts of it may be raised in the direction of the palate.

When the tongue is in the front part of the mouth and the front part of it is raised to the hard palate a front vowel is pronounced. This is the position for English vowels [i:, e, æ].

When the tongue is in the front part of the mouth but slightly retracted, and the part of the tongue nearer to center than to front is raised, a front retracted vowel is pronounced. Such is the position for the English vowel [i].

When the front of the tongue is raised towards the back part of the hard palate the vowel is called central. This is the position for the English vowels [A], [з:], [ə].

When the tongue is in back part of the mouth and the back of it is raised towards the soft palate a back vowel is pronounced. This is the position for the English [a:,L,P, u:].

When the is in the back part of the mouth and the back of it is raise3d towards the front part of the soft palate a back-advanced vowel is pronounced. This is the position for the English vowel [u].

(2) Moving up and down in the mouth various parts of the tongue may be raised to different height towards the roof of the mouth.

When the front or the back of the tongue is raised high towards the palate the vowel is called close. This is the way the English vowels [i, i:, u:,].

    When the front or the back of the tongue is as low as possible in the mouth open vowels are pronounced. They are [æ, a:, o, o:]

Vowel Length

All English vowels with the exception of diphthongs are generally divided into long and short.

Long vowels are [i:, a:, L, з:]

Short vowels are [i, e, o, u, λ, ә]

Завдання до теми

Read the tongue-twisters:

1. I am a mother pheasant plucker, I pluck mother pheasants. I am the best mother pheasant plucker, that ever plucked a mother pheasant!

2. I am not a pheasant plucker, I’m a pheasant plucker’s son but I’ll be plucking pheasants When the pheasant plucker’s gone.

3. I bought a bit of baking powder and baked a batch of biscuits. I brought a big basket of biscuits back to the bakery and baked a basket of big biscuits. Then I took the big basket of biscuits and the basket of big biscuits and mixed the big biscuits with the basket of biscuits that was next to the big basket and put a bunch of biscuits from the basket into a biscuit mixer and brought the basket of biscuits and the box of mixed biscuits and the biscuit mixer to the bakery and opened a tin of sardines.

4. I bought a box of biscuits, a box of mixed biscuits, and a biscuit mixer.

5. I can think of six thin things and of six thick things too.

6. I cannot bear to see a bear Bear down upon a hare. When bare of hair he strips the hare, Right there I cry, «Forbear!»

7. I correctly recollect Rebecca MacGregor’s reckoning.

8. I know a boy named Tate who dined with his girl at eight eight. I’m unable to state what Tate ate at eight eight or what Tate’s tte tte ate at eight eight.

9. I miss my Swiss Miss. My Swiss Miss misses me.

10. I need not your needles, they’re needless to me; For kneading of noodles, ’twere needless, you see; But did my neat knickers but need to be kneed, I then should have need of your needles indeed. Flee from fog to fight flu fast!

Контрольні питання

1. What is the quality of a vowel determined by?

2. What criteria are used for the classification of vowels?

3. What are English vowels subdivided into?

4. Define diphthongs.

5. From what aspects is the position of the tongue in the mouth cavity

characterized?

6. What groups of vowels are distinguished in English?

7. What are the traditional lip positions in English pronunciation?

8. What does the checkness of English vowel sounds depend on?

9. What is duration of a vowel modified by and what does it depend on?

10. Define tenseness.

Література: [4, c. 85-109; 2, с. 35-42].

Практичне заняття  № 16