Cardinal Vowels

1.

Cardinal Vowels
Bohdan Babenko PR-22/1

2.

What is vowels
?
How many vowels in English ?

3.

Cardinal Vowel Chart
Explanation

4.

/i/ (close front unrounded vowel)
The first Cardinal vowel is /i:/, which is
pronounced with the tongue high and
forward in the mouth, and the lips are
spread. It is the vowel sound in words like
"sheep", "meet", and "beef".

5.

/e/ (close-mid front unrounded
vowel)
The second Cardinal vowel. This vowel sound
is similar to the "ay" sound in "say" or
"day". It is pronounced with the tongue
slightly lower than /i/, with the lips slightly
more spread.

6.

/ɛ/ (open-mid front unrounded
vowel)
The third Cardinal vowel. This vowel sound is
similar to the "e" sound in "bet" or "met". It is
pronounced with the tongue lowered and moved
slightly back in the mouth, with the lips slightly
spread.

7.

/æ/ (open front unrounded
vowel
The fourth Cardinal vowel is /æ/, which is
pronounced with the tongue in a low
position and the lips are slightly spread. It
is the vowel sound in words like "cat",
"hat", and "mat".

8.

/ɑ/ (open back unrounded vowel)
The fifth Cardinal vowel is /ɑ:/, which is
pronounced with the tongue in a low and
back position and the lips are relaxed. It is
the vowel sound in words like "car", "start",
and "hard".

9.

/ɔ:/ (open-mid back vowel)
The sixth Cardinal vowel is /ɔ:/, which is
pronounced with the tongue in a low and back
position and the lips are rounded. It is the vowel
sound in words like "awful", "bored", and
"cause".

10.

/o/ (close-mid back rounded vowel)
The seventh Cardinal vowel is /o/. This vowel
sound is similar to the "o" sound in "go" or
"so". It is pronounced with the tongue raised
and moved slightly forward in the mouth, with
the lips rounded.

11.

/u/ (close back rounded
vowel)
The eighth Cardinal vowel is /u:/, which is
pronounced with the tongue high and back
in the mouth, and the lips are rounded. It is
the vowel sound in words like "blue",
"food", and "soon".

12.

Conclusion
The English language has a total of 20 vowels, but the 8 Cardinal vowels are
the most important ones. They are represented on the Cardinal Vowel chart,
which shows the position of the tongue and lips when producing each vowel
sound. By understanding the Cardinal vowels, we can improve our
pronunciation and communication skills.

13.

THANKS YOU!