Author: Jesse Nerenberg, Reg. CASLPO, Speech-Language Pathologist
Date: Wednesday, February 19, 2025

Introduction

Last fall, I had a blog post about the English consonants. This post is a follow-up about English vowels.

As a speech-language pathologist (SLP) at Well Said, I’ve had the privilege of working with many individuals who are navigating the journey of accent modification. Whether you’re learning English as a second language and are new to Canada, refining your pronunciation for professional reasons, or simply wanting to feel more confident in your speech, I want to start by saying this (as I say to all accent clients): No one should ever feel ashamed of their accent (every has one after all, no matter your linguistic background). Your accent is a part of who you are, and it tells a story about your background, culture, and experiences. Personally, I would much rather live in a world where we all sound different that in a world where we all sounded exactly the same.

That being said, if you’re looking to modify your accent for personal or professional growth, that’s a perfectly legitimate goal, and we are here to guide you through it.

In my previous blog post, we explored the world of consonant sounds in English—the stops, fricatives, affricates, and more. Today, we’re diving into the equally important (and sometimes more challenging) realm of vowel sounds. Vowels are the backbone of English pronunciation, and mastering them can significantly enhance your clarity and confidence when speaking.

The Importance of Vowel Sounds in English

Why Are Vowel Sounds So Important?

Vowels are the sounds that give speech its rhythm, melody, and flow. Unlike consonants, which are produced with some degree of obstruction in the vocal tract, vowels are created with an open vocal tract, allowing sound to resonate freely. This makes them crucial for intelligibility and natural-sounding speech. As well, they also convey emotions. Just think about it: what sound do you make when you see a cute baby or puppy? “AWWW”. Or what sound do you make when you get startled? “AAAAH” Or what sound do you make when you are frustrated? “UUUUUUhhhhh”. These are all vowels sounds!

English has a particularly complex vowel system, with around 12+ vowel sounds depending on the dialect. Compare this to languages like Spanish or Japanese, which have only 5 vowel sounds, and you can see why English vowels might feel overwhelming at first. But don’t worry—with practice and guidance, you can master them! When we are young and first learning to speak, just like with consonants, our brains will essentially form a “card catalogue” or “index” of all the vowel sounds we need to produce and hear/understand in order to speak the language of those around us. When we learn a new language, our brain will have difficulty with any vowels that simply do not exist in our heritage language. In some cases our brain may even have difficulty hearing the difference between two vowels that a native English speaker will hear as distinct.

Understanding Vowel Sounds

The Basics: What Makes a Vowel Sound?

Just like when I’m teaching my clients about consonants, I will often pull up a sagittal view of the articulators to help explain how this all works. However, with consonants, I highlight the tongue, roof of the mouth and lips and teeth. With vowels, I tend to draw a big rectangle over the oral cavity to explain two of the most important aspects of vowels: high vs low and front vs back.

Before we dive into specific vowel sounds, let’s break down what makes a vowel unique:

Tongue Position: The position of your tongue—high, mid, or low in the mouth—and whether it’s toward the front, center, or back of the mouth determines the vowel sound. The positions of the tongue and jaw in concert determine the “height” of the vowel as well as how “front or “back” it is.
Lip Shape: Some vowels require rounded lips (like the “oo” in “food”), while others are produced with unrounded lips (like the “ee” in “see”).
Tenseness: Vowels can be “tense” (long and requiring more muscle effort, like the “ay” in “day”) or “lax” (shorter and more relaxed, like the “ih” in “sit”). This tenseness vs lax laxness can be a key to hearing and feeling the difference between certain sets of vowels that are quite close together.

Understanding these factors will help you visualize and produce each vowel sound accurately. When explaining this is often when I will pull up the IPA vowel chart which is not just a list of all the vowels but a visual representation of where the vowels are made in the mouth. Essentially the chart is like a map you could lay over the sagittal view of the articulators. The highest vowels are at the top and the most forward or fronted vowels are on the left side. The inverse is true for low and back vowels.

Detailed Breakdown of English Vowel Sounds

The Most Common English Vowel Sounds: A Breakdown

Let’s now explore many of the vowel sounds in English, grouped by their tongue position and lip shape. I’ll provide examples and tips for each one.

1. Front Vowels

These vowels are produced with the tongue toward the front of the mouth.

/i/ as in “see”: This is a high, front, tense vowel (the highest and most-fronted vowel in any language). Your tongue is high and forward, and your lips are spread wide.

Tip: Smile while saying this sound to ensure your lips are spread.

Sample Practice Words: see, me, tree, she

/ɪ/ as in “sit”: This is a high, front, lax vowel. Your tongue is slightly lower and more relaxed than for /i/.

Tip: Keep your lips relaxed and avoid spreading them too much.

Sample Practice Words: sit, hit, big, wish

/e/ as in “hey”: This is a mid, front, tense vowel. Your tongue is in the middle of your mouth, and your lips are slightly spread.

Tip: This sound often appears as a diphthong (/eɪ/) in English, so it glides from “eh” to “ee.”

Sample Practice Words: day, say, play, wait, eight, labour, hey

/ɛ/ as in “bed”: This is a mid, front, lax vowel. Your tongue is slightly lower than for /e/, and your lips are relaxed.

Tip: Avoid making this sound too tense or high.

Sample Practice Words: bed, red, men, let

/æ/ as in “cat”: This is a low, front, lax vowel. Your tongue is low and forward, and your mouth is open wide.

Tip: Imagine you’re at the doctor saying “ah,” but with your tongue forward.

Sample Practice Words: cat, hat, man, glad, animal

2. Central Vowels

These vowels are produced with the tongue in the center of the mouth.

/ʌ/ as in “cup”: This is a mid, central, lax vowel. Your tongue is relaxed in the middle of your mouth, and your lips are neutral.

Tip: This sound is often confused with /ɑ/ (as in “father”), but it’s shorter and more relaxed.

Sample Practice Words: cup, sun, love, fun

/ə/ as in “about”: This is the “schwa” sound, a mid, central, lax vowel. It’s the most common vowel sound in English and often appears in unstressed syllables. It’s also the sound we tend to make when we are thinking (“Uuuuuhhhhh”)

Tip: Keep your mouth and lips completely relaxed.

Sample Practice Words: about, sofa, banana, support

3. Back Vowels

These vowels are produced with the tongue toward the back of the mouth.

/u/ as in “food”: This is a high, back, tense vowel. Your tongue is high and back, and your lips are rounded.

Tip: Pucker your lips like you’re kissing someone

Sample Practice Words: food, blue, true, shoe

/ʊ/ as in “book”: This is a high, back, lax vowel. Your tongue is slightly lower and more relaxed than for /u/, and your lips are slightly rounded.

Tip: Avoid over-rounding your lips. (This will make you say /u/ instead).

Sample Practice Words: book, look, good, would

/o/ as in “go”: This is a mid, back, tense vowel. Your tongue is in the middle of your mouth, and your lips are rounded.

Sample Practice Words: go, no, home, show

/ɑ/ as in “father”: This is a low, back, lax vowel. Your tongue is low and back, and your mouth is open wide.

Tip: Imagine you’re at the doctor saying “ah.”

Sample Practice Words: father, hot, car, not

4. Diphthongs

Diphthongs are vowel sounds that glide from one position to another, kind of like if two vowels were mashed together or if you moved quickly from one to another. These have that “glide-like” quality like the vowel in the word “toy”. They’re a key feature of English pronunciation.

/aɪ/ as in “time”: This diphthong glides from /a/ to /ɪ/.

Tip: Start with your mouth wide open and glide to a smile.

Sample Practice Words: time, my, light, try

/aʊ/ as in “house”: This diphthong glides from /a/ to /ʊ/.

Tip: Start with your mouth wide open and glide to a slight pucker.

Sample Practice Words: house, now, loud, cow

/ɔɪ/ as in “boy”: This diphthong glides from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/.

Tip: Start with rounded lips and glide to a smile.

Sample Practice Words: boy, toy, coin, voice

Common Challenges in Vowel Pronunciation

Confusing Similar Sounds: Many non-native speakers struggle with distinguishing between similar vowels, like /i/ and /ɪ/, or /u/ and /ʊ/. In fact, /i/ vs /ɪ/ and /u/ vs /ʊ/ are often the very first vowel differentiations I will tackle with clients, since their confusion is so ubiquitous.
- Tip: Practice minimal pairs (words that differ by only one sound) to train your ear and mouth.
Over-Rounding or Under-Rounding Lips: Lip shape is crucial for back vowels like /u/ and /o/.
- Tip: Use a mirror to check your lip position.
Neglecting the Schwa: The schwa (/ə/) is often overlooked but is essential for natural-sounding English.
- Tip: Practice identifying and producing the schwa in unstressed syllables.
Confusing sounds and phonemes with spelling and letters: It is an easy trap to fall into, to start confounding letters and spelling with sounds. Notice these words: though, through, tough. All these words look like they should be pronounced similarly, and all contain the letter combination “OU” but in each word those two letters are representing a different vowel sound.
- Tip: Focus on the sounds you hear over the letters you see in a word spelled out. Train the ear instead of the eyes.

Practical Tips for Accent Modification

Listen and Imitate: Watch videos or listen to audio of native English speakers. Pay attention to how they shape their vowels and try to imitate them.
Record Yourself: Recording your speech can help you identify areas for improvement.
Work with an SLP and do your Homework: A speech-language pathologist can provide personalized feedback and exercises tailored to your needs. But the real work happens at home and in your day to day life.
Be Patient and Kind to Yourself: Remember that accent modification is a journey, not a race. Re-wiring the brain takes time, so make sure to celebrate your progress along the way.

Final Thoughts: Embrace Your Unique Voice

As we wrap up this deep dive into English vowel sounds, I want to reiterate that your accent is a part of your identity. It reflects your heritage. Accent modification is not about erasing who you are—it’s about expanding your communication skills and feeling more confident and clear in your interactions.

Whether you’re mastering the subtle differences between /i/ and /ɪ/ or perfecting the diphthong in “time,” remember that every step you take is a step toward greater clarity and connection. Keep practicing, stay curious, and most importantly, be proud of the unique voice that only you can bring to the world.

To speak with a psychotherapist or one of the speech-language pathologists at Well Said: Toronto Speech Therapy, schedule an initial consultation by clicking the link below or calling (647) 795-5277.

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