* Vowel systems are complex: Languages don't always have a set number of vowels. Some languages have "diphthongs" (combinations of two vowel sounds) which can be counted as separate vowels or not.
* Regional variation: Even within a language, different dialects or regions may have slightly different vowel sounds.
However, some languages often cited as having a relatively small number of vowel sounds include:
* Rotokas (Papua New Guinea): This language is often mentioned as having only three vowels: /i/, /a/, and /u/.
* Hawaiian: Hawaiian traditionally has five vowels: /i/, /e/, /a/, /o/, and /u/.
* Arabic: Arabic has three basic vowels: /i/, /a/, and /u/. However, it also uses diacritical marks to indicate longer or shorter vowel sounds, effectively increasing the number of vowels.
It's important to remember that even languages with a smaller number of vowel sounds can express a wide range of meaning through other aspects of their phonetics and grammar.