Classification of vowels according to the tongue position

Tongue positions are considered in 2 aspects: according to the position of the bulk of the tongue & according to the height of the raised part of the tongue.

1. Introducing vowels, the front of the tongue is usually lowed and tip may touch the lower teeth. According to the position of the bulk of the tongue in the mouth cavity vowel sounds are divided into 5 classes: front, retracted, central, back-advanced, and back. When the middle part of the tongue is raised, the bulk of the tongue is always in the front part of the mouth, and vowels, thus produced, are called front (<i:>).When the back of the tongue is raised, the bulk is always in the back part of the mouth and the vowels are called back (<u:>, < o:>). If the bulk is slightly advanced from its back position – back-advanced (<u>, <∆>).While both the middle and the back parts of the tongue are raised to the same high, forming so-called flat or mixed position, the bulk of the tongue is placed in the centre of the mouth cavity. Vowels, produced this way, are called central (<ə>).

2. According to the height of the raised part of the tongue, we can distinguish 3 basic heights: high, middle and low. Each of them may have 2 varieties: narrow & wide. In the articulation of high vowels the middle or the back part of the tongue is raised high, so that the air passage through the mouth cavity is rather narrow. High-narrow vowels are <i:>, <u:>; high-wide – <ı>, <u>.

In the articulation of middle vowels the height of the middle or the back part of the tongue is intermediate, between high and low. Mid-narrow vowels: <e>, <ə:>; mid-wide – <ə>.

In the articulation of low-vowels the position is lowest, with the middle or the back part slightly higher that the rest. The jaw is lowered. Low-narrow vowels: <∆>, <o:>; low-wide vowels – <æ>, <α:>, <ס> or <o>.

Classification of vowels according to the lip position

Vowels can be subdivided into 2 positions – rounded and unrounded. When the lips are unrounded, they may be spread (<i:>) or neutral (<α:>); when the lips are rounded they remain flat (<o:> <u> <u:>). We can see examples of protruded vowels only in Russian!

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