The Vowels Of American English Page 3
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15is, like the x and y coordinates of a point on a graph or a location on a map.
In describing a vowel, we list the vertical position of the tongue first: high, mid, or low.
That is, is the tongue raised toward the top of the mouth, or farther down with a more open
jaw? Then we name its horizontal position: front, central, or back. A description of the
tongue position for vowels tells both of these “coordinates.” For example:
/æ/ as in cat is a low front vowel. The most active part of the tongue is in the lower
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front part of the mouth.
/ʌ/ as in cut is a mid central vowel. The tongue is resting in the middle of the
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mouth in a very neutral position.
/uw/ as in boot is a high back vowel. The back of the tongue is bunched up high at
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the back of the mouth.
We can show the tongue positions for different vowels by using a diagram called a vowel
quadrant. This chart is divided into nine sections, each representing a different tongue
placement, vertically and horizontally. The diagrams below show two versions of the vowel
quadrant. The first shows the vowel quadrant alone, and the second shows how the sections
of the vowel quadrant are related to the parts of the vocal tract.
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