Vowel Quality

What is vowel quality and give examples

Define vowel
- vowel is produced when there is not too severe a constriction at the vocal tract

Define vowel quality
- vowel quality is best described with the 5 term classification used to describe vowels

a)position of mouth - open/close/mid
for eg : /a:/ - aaaaahhh open vowel .
/i:/ - eeeeeee closed vowel

b)position of tongue - front/central/back
for eg : when we say the word food /u:/ and the word cheese /i:/, we will realise that our tongue is at the front of the mouth for cheese and back of the mouth for food.
thus /u:/ is back vowel
/i:/ is front vowel

c)length of vowel - long/short
long vowel marked with colon to show length marker
for eg : beat /bi:t/
bit /bit/

d)shape of mouth - round/unrounded
for eg: when we say the word food /u;/ , our lips are rounded
when we say the word cheese /i:/, our lips are unrounded

e)monophthong or diphthong -single or dual quality
single vowel symbol indicated with or without length marker. monophthong - single vowel quality
diphthoung indicates change in quality that's why there are 2 symbols to represent
boy - /bc:/ eye - /ai/ cow- /kau/ pair-/pea/

For eg : /i:/

long, unrounded, closed, front monophtong

for eg : /u:/

long, rounded, closed, back monophthong