English Vowels as Units of the Phonological System

Classificatory principles (listed in Lecture 3) provide the bases for the following distinctive oppositions in t he system of English vowel phonemes.

I. Position of the Lips

Rounded vs. unrounded

II. Position of the Tongue

(1) Horizontal movements of the tongue

a) front vs. mixed

b) back vs. mixed

(2) Vertical movements of the tongue

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

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

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

Front vowels are subdivided into fully front and front retracted: /i: e / are fully front, /I/ is front retracted. Its independent phonological status can be proved by the existence of minimal pairs.

Back vowels are also subdivided into filly back / u: a:/ and back advanced /u/. The independent phonological status of back-advanced vowels can be proved by the existence of pniminal pairs.

Close (or high), mid-open (or mid) as well as open (or low) vowels are subdivided into vowels of narrow and broad variation. Thus /i: u:/ belong to vowels of narrow variation, and /I, u/ belong to the vowels of broad variation. Their independent phonological status can be proved by the existence of such pairs as: Pete-pit pool-pull

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

Open (or low) vowels are also subdivided into the phonemes of broad variation and of narrow variation. Their independent phonological status can be proved by the existence of minimal pairs: bord-bard.

III. Degree of Tenseness and the Character of the End of the Vowel

The distinctive oppositions here are:

- tense vs. lax

- checked vs. free

IV. Length

There are long and short vowels in English. But length is not the only distinctive feature of minimal pairs like Pete-pit, Bart-but. In other words, the difference between /i: - I/ etc. is not only quantitative but also qualitative, which is conditioned by different positions of the bulk of the tongue.

Qualitative difference is the main relevant feature that differentiates long and short vowel phoneme, because quantitative characteristics of long vowels depend on the position they occupy in a word:

a) they are the longest in the terminal position

b) they are shorter before voiced consonants

c) they are the shortest voiceless consonants

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