Phonetic Descriptions of English Monophthong Vowel Sounds

Posted on Oct 10, 2025 in Security and Emergencies

Phonetic Articulation of English Monophthong Vowels

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: The front of the tongue is raised to a height slightly below and behind the front close position.
Lips: Spread.
Tongue Tension & Contact: The tongue is tense, with the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the front, raised just above the close–mid position.
Lips: Loosely spread.
Tongue Tension & Contact: The tongue is lax, with the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: The front of the tongue is raised between the close–mid and open–mid positions.
Lips: Loosely spread and slightly wider apart than for /ɪ/.
Tongue Tension & Contact: The tongue may have more tension than in the case of /ɪ/, with the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: The front of the tongue is raised just above the open position.
Mouth Opening: Wide open.
Tongue Contact: The side rims of the tongue make a light contact with the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the centre of the tongue raised just above the fully open position.
Jaws & Lips: The jaws are considerably separated, and the lips are neutrally open.
Tongue Contact: No contact is made between the tongue and the upper molars.
Note: /Ʌ/ does not occur in final, open syllables.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: The part of the tongue between the centre and back is in the fully open position.
Jaws & Lips: The jaws are considerably separated, and the lips are neutrally open.
Tongue Contact: No contact is made between the tongue and the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the back of the tongue in the fully open position.
Jaws & Lips: The jaws are wide apart, and the lips are slightly rounded.
Tongue Contact: There is no contact between the tongue and the upper molars.
Note: /ɒ/ does not occur in final, open syllables.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: The back of the tongue is raised between the open–mid and close–mid positions.
Lips: Slightly rounded.
Tongue Contact: There is no contact between the tongue and the upper molars.
Note: /ɔː/ does not occur before /ŋ/.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the back, raised just above the close–mid position. This position maintains a symmetrical back relationship with the front vowel /ɪ/.
Lips: Neutral (unrounded).
Tongue Tension & Contact: The tongue is lax, with no firm contact with the upper molars.
Note: /ʊ/ does not occur in a word–initial position or before /ŋ/.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the back part of the tongue raised to the close position.
Lips: Closely rounded.
Tongue Tension & Contact: The tongue is tense, with no firm contact with the upper molars.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position: Articulated with the central part of the tongue raised between the close–mid and open–mid positions.
Lips: Neutrally spread.
Tongue Contact: There is no contact between the tongue and the upper molars.
Note: /ɜː/ occurs in stressed syllables.

Soft Palate: Raised.
Tongue Position (General): Articulated with the central part of the tongue raised between the close–mid and open–mid positions.
Lips: Neutrally spread.
Tongue Contact: There is no contact between the tongue and the upper molars.
Note on Syllable Stress: /ə/ occurs in unstressed syllables only.
Note on Word-Final Position: In a word–final position, the vowel is articulated with the central part of the tongue raised slightly below the open–mid position and is often similar to /Ʌ/.