Simple vowels chart Figure 12 shows all 12 of the simple vowel sounds used in General American (GA) and Standard Southern British English (SSBE) in relation to the height of the tongue and the position of the tongue elevation in the mouth. We have omitted the…
Complex vowels = configuration change Simple vowels do not change the configuration of the oral cavity whilst the vowel is being produced. There are, however, some vowels that do entail changes to the configuration of the oral cavity during their production. These are known as complex vowels.
Complex vowels summary: diphthongs The main diphthongs used in General American (GA) and Standard Southern British English (SSBE) are summarized in Table 2. They are categorized by closing position and diphthongs used exclusively by SSBE are shown in red. no. closing position IPA example…
Comparing accents using ‘keywords’ From the foregone discussion of vowels, we see that there are several differences between the realization of vowels in General American (GA) and Standard Southern British English (SSBE). We will highlight a few of these below. First, the vowel…
English consonants Recall that vowels are described as open sounds because there is no obstruction to the flow of air as it passes out of the mouth. In contrast, consonants are described as closed sounds. This means that there is some type of obstruction to…
Plosives = stops Plosive consonants are oral sounds, i.e. the soft palate is raised so that air from the lungs cannot pass upwards into the nasal cavity. The air can, therefore, only escape through the oral cavity. All plosives are produced by a complete obstruction of…
Nasals = through the nasal cavity As noted, when a person makes any plosive sound, the soft palate is raised so that it touches the back of the throat above the pharynx. This prevents air escaping through the nose. All air is, therefore, directed out…
Fricatives = turbulent airflow Fricative consonants are formed by a narrowing of the mouth passage by two articulators, such as the lips, teeth, tongue or palate, coming into near contact. The air forcing its way through the narrow gap creates turbulence or friction, hence the name…
