Positionof the Tongue

Position of the Lips

English Vowels as Units of the Phonological System

Classificatory principles suggested by Russian phoneticians can be illustrated by distinctive oppositions in the system of the following English vowel phonemes: /i:, ı, e, æ, a:, υ, o:, u, u:, Λ, з:, ə/

Rounded vs. unrounded vowels

don — darn pot — part

In these pairs the unrounded vowel phoneme /a:/ is opposed to the rounded /υ/ phoneme.

(1) Horizontal movement of the tongue

(a) front vs. central

cab — curb bed — bird

In these pairs the front vowel phonemes /æ, e/ are opposed to the central phoneme /з:/.

(b) back vs. central

pull — pearl cart — curt call — curl

In these pairs the back vowel phonemes /u, а:, o:/ are opposed to the central phoneme /з:/.

(2) Vertical movement of the tongue

(a) close (high) vs. mid-open (mid)

bid — bird put — pert week — work

In these pairs the close vowels /ı, u, i:/ are opposed to the mid-open vowel /з:/.

(b) open (low) vs. mid-open (mid)

lack — lurk bard — bird call — curl

In these pairs the open vowels /æ, a:, o:/ are opposed to the mid-open vowel /з:/.

As it is known, within each group which we single out according to the horizontal and vertical movements of the tongue, there are subgroups.

Front vowels are subdivided into fully front and front-retracted: /i:, e, æ/ are fully front, /ı/ is a front-retracted vowel phoneme. Its independent phonological status can be proved by the existence of minimal pairs, e. g.

Pete — pit deep — dip beet — bit

Back vowels are also subdivided into fully back /u:, o:, υ/ and back-advanced /u, a: 1. The independent phonological status of back-advanced vowels can be proved by the existence of minimal pairs, e. g.

bard — bud cart — cut pool — pull

Close (or high) mid-open (or mid) as well as open (or low) vowels are subdivided into vowels of narrow and broad variation.

Thus, within the group of high vowels /i:, u:/ belong to the vowel phonemes of narrow variation, and /ı, u/ belong to the vowel phonemes of broad variation. Their independent phonological status can be proved by the existence of such pairs as:

Pete — pit pool — pull

In these pairs /i:, u:/ are opposed to /ı, u/, which belong to the sub­group of high vowels of broad variation.

Within the group of mid-open (or mid) vowels /e, з: 1 belong to the phonemes of narrow variation and /ə/ belongs to the subgroup of mid vowels of broad variation. The independent phonological status of /e, з:, ə/ can be proved by the existence of such pairs as:

pence — sixpence foreword — forward

/'pens/ — /'sikspəns/ /'fo: з:d/ — /'fo:wəd/

Open (or low) vowels are also subdivided into the phonemes of broad variation /æ, a:/ and of narrow variation /υ/. Their independent phono­logical status can be proved by the existence of minimal pairs:

bad — bard knot — gnat

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