1. Positioning of the Tongue:
* Height: How high or low your tongue is in your mouth determines the vowel's height.
* High vowels: Your tongue is closer to the roof of your mouth (e.g., /i/, /u/).
* Low vowels: Your tongue is lower in your mouth (e.g., /a/).
* Mid vowels: Your tongue is in a position between high and low (e.g., /e/, /o/).
* Frontness/Backness: How far forward or backward your tongue is in your mouth determines its frontness or backness.
* Front vowels: Your tongue is closer to the front of your mouth (e.g., /i/, /e/).
* Back vowels: Your tongue is closer to the back of your mouth (e.g., /u/, /o/).
* Central vowels: Your tongue is in a position between front and back (e.g., /ʌ/).
* Lip Shape: Your lip shape also influences vowel sounds.
* Rounded: Your lips are rounded or pursed (e.g., /u/, /o/).
* Spread: Your lips are slightly stretched out (e.g., /i/, /e/).
* Neutral: Your lips are neither rounded nor spread (e.g., /a/).
2. Airflow:
* Openness of the Mouth: The degree to which your mouth is open or closed affects the resonance of the vowel sound.
* Open vowels: Your mouth is more open (e.g., /a/).
* Close vowels: Your mouth is more closed (e.g., /i/, /u/).
3. Resonance:
* Nasalization: Some vowels are nasalized, meaning air escapes through your nose. This happens when the soft palate is lowered (e.g., /ɑ̃/ in French).
4. Examples:
* /i/ (as in "see"): High, front, spread lips, close mouth.
* /u/ (as in "moon"): High, back, rounded lips, close mouth.
* /a/ (as in "father"): Low, central, neutral lips, open mouth.
* /e/ (as in "bed"): Mid-high, front, spread lips, slightly open mouth.
* /o/ (as in "go"): Mid-high, back, rounded lips, slightly open mouth.
Practice and Observation:
The best way to articulate vowel sounds is to:
* Listen carefully to recordings of native speakers.
* Practice mimicking the sounds.
* Observe your tongue and lip movements in a mirror.
* Pay attention to how the sounds feel in your mouth.
It's important to note that vowel sounds can vary slightly depending on the dialect.