24.Speech sound in English: Vowels

 

“With a gun barrel between your teeth, you speak only with vowels”

-  Chuck Palahniuk

 Speech sounds in English, specially vowels, plays a crucial role in pronunciation. Vowels are  produced with an open vocal tractand characterized by absence of constriction in the oral  cavity. They are classified based on tongue position and lip rounding. Examples include the  short “e” in pen and the long “o” in go.

In English, there are five primary vowel sounds:A, E, I,O,U. These can be further  classified into short and long vowels on their duration.

Vowel sounds play a crucial role in shaping the pronunciation and overall rhythm of words in  English.

 -Submitted  by Athulya C.

*************************************************************

Vowels are letters that represent speech sounds where air leaves the mouth without any blockage by the tongue, lips, or throat. It’s important to note that the distinction between consonants and vowels is based on their role in forming sounds rather than their status as letters in the alphabet.

In English, the word vowel is commonly used to refer both to vowel sounds and to the written symbols that represent them - a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes w and y are considered as vowels. W and Y are considered as vowel when it represents a vowel sound. Examples: twice and law for w and gym and cry for y vowel sound.

Mastering vowel sounds is a foundational element in language learning and contributes to overall linguistic competence.

-Submitted by  Shamna CT.