In this lesson You will now learn how to correctly pronounce each type of vowel.
We categorize vowels as front, middle, or back depending on which part of the tongue is
used to produce the sound. For example, /i/ is a front vowel because the front part of the
tongue goes up in the front of the mouth, and /u/ is a back vowel because the back of the
tongue goes up in the back of the mouth. We also categorize vowels as high or low. In high
vowels, the tongue is pushed up high near the roof of the mouth as in /i/, and in low vowels,
the tongue is flat down at the bottom of the mouth, as in /ae/.
Diphthongs consist of two different vowel sounds that are closely joined together and treated as one vowel. They are represented by two phonetic symbols. To create this sound, move your tongue smoothly from one vowel position to another. The following vowels are diphthongs: /eɪ/ as in take, /oʊ/ as in boat, /aɪ/ as in time, /aʊ/ as in house, and /ɔɪ/ as in boy.