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Interactive (not anymore, see our comment below) Vowel Sounds Chart: American English Pronunciation — Transcript

by Sounds American · 2,256 words · 412 segments · language en · Watch on YouTube

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0:05Hello there!
0:06This is the "Sounds American" channel.
0:10There are 12 distinct vowel sounds in American English.
0:14If you want to speak like an American,
0:17you’ll need to learn to pronounce them correctly.
0:20And that could be a challenge.
0:25There's good news, though!
0:27There’s an easy way to remember how all these vowels are pronounced.
0:32Each vowel sound is made with your tongue moving to a certain place in your mouth.
0:38Once you know the position of your tongue for each vowel,
0:41you can more easily organize and understand how to make them.
0:45Take a look.
0:47The vowels in the upper row
0:49are pronounced with your tongue raised very high in your mouth.
0:54The vowels in the lower row
0:56are pronounced with your tongue placed very low.
1:00Ok.
1:02as you may have already guessed,
1:04the vowels in the most right column are made with your tongue pulled back.
1:10And finally
1:11the vowel sounds in the most left column are pronounced with your tongue pushed forward.
1:18For example:
1:20The vowel sound /i/,
1:22as in the word “be,”
1:24is pronounced with your tongue pushed forward
1:27and raised very high in your mouth.
1:29So its card is in the upper left corner.
1:34Here’s another vowel,
1:36the vowel sound /ɔ/,
1:38as in the word “on.”
1:41This sound is pronounced with the tongue pulled back
1:44and placed very low in your mouth.
1:48So its card is in the lower right corner.
1:54OK
1:55if you’re watching this video on a computer,
1:58click on a card to find out more about each vowel.
2:02Unfortunately, this doesn’t work on mobile devices.
2:07But we have a work-around.
2:09You can use the Navigation links in the Description below.
2:14Have fun!
2:29This is the American vowel sound /i/,
2:32as in the word “be.”
2:36You can also hear this sound in words like
2:39“each,”
2:40“see,”
2:42“key”
2:43or “ski.”
2:46Now listen to this sound in a crazy phrase:
2:58Let’s find out how to make the /i/ sound.
3:03OK.
3:04To make the /i/ sound, you should focus on the correct position of your lips, tongue, and jaw.
3:11Open your mouth a little,
3:13stretch your lips as wide as you can,
3:16and make them tense.
3:22Raise your tongue very high and push it to the front of your mouth.
3:28The tip of your tongue should be lowered just behind your bottom front teeth.
3:36Remember,
3:37the /i/ is a tense sound,
3:38so your lips and tongue should be tense.
3:43Your tongue should be at the front of your mouth.
3:49Let's try saying it:
3:51/i/
3:54/i/
3:57/i/
4:20This is the American vowel sound /ɪ/,
4:23as in the word “it.”
4:26You can also hear this sound in words like
4:30“big,”
4:31“gym,”
4:32“English,”
4:34or “image.”
4:37Can you handle a sentence?
4:48Let’s find out how to make the /ɪ/ sound.
4:53OK
4:54To pronounce the /ɪ/ sound,
4:56you should focus on the correct position of your tongue.
5:00Slightly open your mouth,
5:02spread your lips and relax them.
5:10Raise your tongue high in your mouth
5:12and push it to the front.
5:16The tip of your tongue can be lowered just behind your bottom front teeth.
5:21Remember,
5:22the /ɪ/ is a relaxed sound,
5:25so your tongue and lips should be relaxed.
5:28And your tongue should be at the front of your mouth.
5:33Now, let's try saying it:
5:36/ɪ/
5:39/ɪ/
5:41/ɪ/
6:04This is the American vowel sound /eɪ/,
6:07as in the word "make."
6:11You can also hear this sound in words like
6:14“take,”
6:15“day,”
6:17“wait”
6:18or “eight.”
6:22What if we put together a few words with this sound in a phrase?
6:28Here you go:
6:38Keep watching to find out how to make the /eɪ/ sound correctly.
6:44OK
6:45To pronounce the /eɪ/ vowel,
6:47you should focus on the correct position of your lips and tongue.
6:52Partially open your mouth,
6:55spread your lips wide and make them tense.
7:02Raise the middle of your tongue to the roof of your mouth and push it to the front.
7:10The tip of your tongue should be down,
7:12just behind your bottom front teeth.
7:19Remember,
7:20the /eɪ/ is a tense sound,
7:22so your lips and tongue should be very tense.
7:26Your jaw should be partially lowered.
7:30Now, let's pronounce this sound:
7:33/eɪ/
7:36/eɪ/
7:38/eɪ/
8:03This is the American vowel sound /ɛ/,
8:06as in the word "bed."
8:09Your can also hear this sound
8:11in words like
8:12get,
8:14head,
8:15many,
8:16or "friend."
8:20Now let's move from words to a sentence.
8:32If you’re not sure how to make the /ɛ/ vowel sound, keep watching.
8:39OK
8:39To pronounce the /ɛ/ sound,
8:41you should focus on the correct position of your tongue and jaw.
8:46Partially open your mouth,
8:50slightly spread your lips and relax them.
8:57Push your tongue to the front of your mouth and relax it.
9:02Raise the middle of your tongue to the roof of your mouth.
9:07The tip of your tongue can be lowered just behind your bottom front teeth.
9:14Remember,
9:14the /ɛ/ is a relaxed sound,
9:16so your tongue and lips should be relaxed.
9:21Your jaw should be partially lowered.
9:25Now let's try saying it:
9:28/ɛ/
9:30/ɛ/
9:32/ɛ/
9:56This is the American vowel sound /æ/,
9:59as in the word "cat."
10:03You can also hear this sound
10:05in words like
10:06"at,"
10:07"half,"
10:09"man,"
10:10or "laugh."
10:15That's good, but it's much better when the words rhyme!
10:28Let's learn how to pronounce the /æ/ sound like an American!
10:35OK
10:36To pronounce the /æ/ sound,
10:38you should focus on the correct position of your tongue and jaw.
10:43Open your mouth as wide as possible,
10:46slightly spread your lips and tense them.
10:54Tense your tongue, flatten it and push it forward.
11:00Your tongue should be positioned very low in your mouth.
11:04The tip of your tongue should be touching the back of your bottom front teeth.
11:11Remember,
11:12the /æ/ is a very open vowel sound,
11:15so your jaw should be very low and your tongue should be very flat.
11:20Now, let's try saying it:
11:22/æ/
11:25/æ/
11:27/æ/
11:50This is the American vowel sound /ʌ/,
11:54as in the word "us."
11:57You can also hear this sound
11:59in words like
12:01“but,”
12:02“come,”
12:03“young,”
12:04or “flood.”
12:09How about a phrase with this sound?
12:11We've got one for you!
12:21Let's find out how to make the /ʌ/ sound.
12:28OK.
12:28To make the /ʌ/ sound,
12:30you should focus on the correct position of your lips and tongue.
12:35Open your mouth a little,
12:37relax your lips,
12:38and put them in a neutral position.
12:45Place your tongue in the middle of your mouth,
12:48not too high or too low.
12:54Note that the /ʌ/ vowel sound is used in stressed syllables,
12:58but your lips and tongue should not be tense.
13:01Your tongue should be in the center of your mouth.
13:07Let's try saying it:
13:09/ʌ/
13:11/ʌ/
13:14/ʌ/
13:38This is the American vowel sound /ə/,
13:41as in the word "ago."
13:45You can also hear this sound in words like
13:48above, ,
13:50person,
13:51parent,
13:52or "action."
13:55Do you want to hear it in a sentence?
13:58Here you go:
14:07If you want to pronounce the /ə/ sound like an American, keep watching.
14:15OK.
14:15To pronounce the /ə/ sound, you should focus on relaxing your tongue and lips.
14:22Slightly open your mouth,
14:24relax your lips,
14:26and leave them in a neutral position.
14:32Place your tongue in the middle of your mouth and relax it.
14:44Remember,
14:45the /ə/ sound is very relaxed,
14:47so your tongue and lips should be relaxed, when you pronounce it.
14:54Let's try saying it:
14:56/ə/
14:58/ə/
15:01/ə/
15:24This is the American vowel sound /ɑ/,
15:28as in the word "got."
15:31You can also hear this sound in words like
15:35top,
15:36want,
15:37box,
15:38or "wash."
15:42Now let's step up your game with a sentence:
15:54The /ɑ/ is a tricky sound,
15:56keep watching to learn how to pronounce it correctly.
16:02OK,
16:03to pronounce the /ɑ/ sound, you should focus on the correct position of your jaw and tongue.
16:10Open your mouth as wide as possible.
16:14Relax your lips and allow them to rest in a neutral position.
16:21Flatten your tongue and place it very low in your mouth.
16:26Your tongue should be in the center of your mouth.
16:30The tip of your tongue should be touching the back of your bottom front teeth.
16:36Remember,
16:37the /ɑ/ is a very open sound,
16:40so your mouth should be open as wide as possible.
16:46Let's try saying it:
16:48/ɑ/
16:51/ɑ/
16:53/ɑ/
17:17This is the American vowel sound /u/,
17:21as in the word "blue."
17:24You can also hear this sound in words like
17:27rule,
17:29too,
17:30do,
17:31or "new."
17:35Want a challenge?
17:37Here's a sentence with lots of words with this sound.
17:48Next you'll learn how to make the /u/ sound correctly.
17:54OK,
17:55to make the /u/ sound,
17:57you should focus on the correct position of your jaw, lips and tongue.
18:02Open your mouth a little and push your lips out,
18:05making a small tense circle.
18:11Pull your tongue far back in your throat and tense it.
18:16Raise the back of the tongue toward the roof of your mouth.
18:23Remember,
18:24the /u/ is a tense sound,
18:26so your lips and tongue should be tense.
18:28Your tongue should be pulled back in your mouth.
18:33Let's try saying it:
18:35/u/
18:38/u/
18:41/u/
19:04This is the American vowel sound /ʊ/,
19:07as in the word “put.”
19:11You can also hear this sound in words like
19:14“push,”
19:15“book,”
19:16“wolf,”
19:18or “could.”
19:21Awesome, isn't it?
19:23Here's more of this sound.
19:33Do you know how to make the /ʊ/ like an American?
19:38If you're not quite sure, keep watching.
19:43OK.
19:44to pronounce the /ʊ/ sound,
19:46you should focus on the correct position of your jaw, lips and tongue.
19:53Slightly open your mouth,
19:55round your lips,
19:57and relax them.
20:03Pull your tongue back in your mouth and relax it.
20:08Lift the back of your tongue toward the roof of your mouth.
20:14Remember,
20:15the /ʊ/ is a relaxed sound,
20:17so your tongue and lips should be relaxed,
20:20and your tongue should be pulled back.
20:24Now let's try saying it:
20:27/ʊ/
20:29/ʊ/
20:32/ʊ/
20:55This is the American vowel sound /oʊ/,
20:59as in the word "go."
21:02You can also hear this sound in words like
21:06“so,”
21:07“snow,”
21:09“coat,”
21:10or “though.”
21:13We know that you love this sound so much,
21:16that you won't be able to resist a sentence.
21:27If you've ever mispronounced the /oʊ/ sound,
21:30keep watching to learn how to fix it.
21:39OK.
21:40To pronounce the /oʊ/ sound,
21:42you should focus on the correct position of your jaw, lips and tongue.
21:48Round your lips and make them tense.
21:53Then pull them in a tighter circle.
22:00Pull your tongue back and tense it.
22:09Remember,
22:10the /oʊ/ is a tense sound,
22:12so your lips and tongue should be very tense.
22:16Your jaw should be partially lowered.
22:23Let's try saying it:
22:27/oʊ/
22:29/oʊ/
22:32/oʊ/
22:56This is the American vowel sound /ɔ/,
23:00as in the word "on."
23:03You can also hear this sound in words like
23:06off,
23:07cause,
23:09all,
23:10or "saw."
23:14Ever heard of the saying "no pain, no gain"?
23:17That'll apply to the following sentence:
23:29Let's find out how to make the /ɔ/ sound.
23:35OK.
23:36To pronounce the /ɔ/ sound,
23:38you should focus on the position of your jaw, lips and tongue.
23:44Open your mouth as wide as possible,
23:48and round your lips.
23:55Flatten your tongue
23:57and pull it back.
24:01Place your tongue very low in your mouth.
24:06The tip of your tongue should be touching the back of your bottom front teeth.
24:14Remember,
24:15the /ɔ/ is a very open sound,
24:18so your jaw should be as open as possible.
24:23Let's try saying it:
24:25/ɔ/
24:28/ɔ/
24:31/ɔ/
24:53This is the American R-colored vowel /ɝ/,
24:57as in the word "first."
25:01You can also hear this sound in words like
25:04girl,
25:05her,
25:07learn,
25:08or "word."
25:12You know what?
25:14The /ɝ/ deserves its own phrase.
25:26Now let's focus on how to make the /ɝ/ sound.
25:33OK.
25:34Pronunciation of the R-colored vowel /ɝ/
25:37is very similar to the /r/ consonant.
25:43To make the /ɝ/ sound,
25:45open your mouth a little,
25:47and leave your lips neutral,
25:49or round them slightly.
25:54The /ɝ/ is a tense vowel sound,
25:57so your tongue,
25:58mouth,
25:59and throat should be tense, when you pronounce it.
26:06Raise the front of your tongue toward the alveolar ridge
26:10behind your upper front teeth,
26:12but don't touch it.
26:18Curl back the tip of your tongue.
26:22Now slightly lower the center of your tongue.
26:26and raise its back.
26:29Note that your tongue should be very tense.
26:34Remember,
26:35the tip of your tongue should be curled back,
26:38and it should never touch the alveolar ridge
26:40behind your upper front teeth.
26:46Now
26:47let's try saying it:
26:49/ɝ/
26:51/ɝ/
26:54/ɝ/
27:17This is the American R-colored vowel /ɚ/,
27:21as in the word "after."
27:24You can also hear this sound
27:26in words like
27:28"enter,"
27:29"color,"
27:31"dollar,"
27:32or "nature."
27:37We can't stop ourselves from making a sentence with this sound.
27:50Let’s find out how to make the relaxed /ɚ/ sound.
27:59OK.
28:00Pronunciation of the R-colored vowel /ɚ/
28:04is very similar to the /ɝ/ vowel or the /r/ consonant.
28:11To make the /ɚ/ sound,
28:14open your mouth a little
28:16and leave your lips neutral, or round them slightly.
28:20The /ɚ/ is a weak sound,
28:23so your tongue and throat should be relaxed.
28:33Raise the front of your tongue toward the alveolar ridge
28:37behind your upper front teeth,
28:39but don't touch it.
28:43Next.
28:45Curl back the tip of your tongue.
28:49Now slightly lower the center of your tongue
28:53and raise its back.
28:57Note that your tongue should be relaxed.
29:01Remember,
29:03the tip of your tongue should be curled back
29:06and it should never touch the alveolar ridge.
29:13Now let's try saying it:
29:16/ɚ/
29:18/ɚ/
29:21/ɚ/

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