/ʌ/

This is a very relax sound.

  • The jaw drops, but the rest of the mouth remains very neutral
  • The tongue is relaxed: the back presses down just a little bit, and the lip is forward.

/ɑ/

This vowel needs a lot of jaw drop.

  • The tongue tip lightly touches behind the bottom front teeth,
  • the back part of the tongue presses down a little bit
  • The lips are neutral

/ɔ/

  • The jaw drops, the lips flare a little bit
  • the tongue shifts back. The tips of the tongue doesn’t touch anything.

Think of the cheeks coming in and shifting forward just a little bit.

lips and cheeks are totally relaxed in /ɑ/

When the /ɔ/ vowel is followed by the r consonant, the sound does change. (/ɔr/), the lips flare more(round), and the tongue pulls back more, and up a little bit.

  • The lips fare more
  • The tongue pulls back more and up a little bit
  • core /kɔr/, sore /sɔr/
Word practice: /ɑ/, /ʌ/, /ɔ/
/ɑ/ /ʌ/ /ɔ/
shot shut sought
cop cup cause
not nut nought
robber rubber raw

/æ/

  • The jaw drops quite a bit
  • The tip of the tongue stays forward, touching the back of the bottom front teeth. The back part of the tongue stretches up.
  • The tongue is wide

When it’s followed by the /m/ or /n/ sounds, the tongue relaxes in the back. e.g. man, exam

When it’s followed by /ŋ/, the vowel more like /eɪ/(hang)

  • the middle part of the tongue lifts towards the roof of the mouth, then the front part of the tongue

/ɛ/

  • The jaw drops
  • The tongue remains forward with the tip touching slightly behind the bottom front teeth.
  • The middle front part of the tongue lifts a little bit towards the roof of the mouth while the back of the tongue feels like it stretches wide.
Word practice: /ɑ/, /ʌ/, /ɔ/
/æ/ /ɛ/
bad bed
bat bet
pan pen
robber rubber

/ʊ/

  • the corners of the lips come in a little(lips flare away from the face)
  • The back of the tongue lifts towards the back of the roof of the mouth.
  • The front of the tongue remains down, but it might be pulled slightly back(not quite touching the back of the bottom front teeth)

/u/

  • The back part of the tongue stretches up towards the soft palate.
  • The front part of the tongue remains down, lightly touching or just behind the bottom front teeth
  • The lips are round a lot
  • lips move from relaxed into tighter position
Word practice: /u/, /ʊ/
/u/ /ʊ/
fool full
Luke look
pool pull

/ɪ/

  • relaxed jaw drop
  • The tip of the tongue stays forward, lightly touching the back of the bottom front teeth.
  • The top, front part of the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth

/i/

  • The jaw drops just a little bit
  • The tongue tip stays behind the bottom front teeth.
  • The middle front part of the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth, diminishing the space between the tongue and the roof of the mouth
  • The corners of the lips pull a little wide
Word practice: /i/, /ɪ/
/i/ /ɪ/
sleep slip
feel fill
eat it
heat hit
leap lip
these this
Can you feel it? Can you fill it?
Did you heat it? Did you hit it?
He doesn’t want to leave He doesn’t want to live

/ə/

  • Everything in your lips, jaw and neck should be relaxed
  • slightly drop your jaw

Often go with the syllabic consonants /əl/, /əm/, /ən/, /ər/, you don’t need to make the schwa.(absorbed by the next sound)

  • father /fɑð ər/

/ɝ///ɚ/

  • The corners of the lips come in, pushing the lips always from the face
  • The middle part of the tongue lifts towards the roof of the mouth in the middle.
  • The front of the tongue hangs down, but it’s drawn back a bit(not touch anything)

/eɪ/

/ɛ/ + /ɪ/

  • starting position:
    • The jaw drops and the tongue tip touches the back of the bottom front teeth
    • The top of the tongue pushes forward and lifts a bit.
  • ending position:
    • The jaw will lift as the top front part of the tongue arches towards the roof of the mouth

/aɪ/

  • starting position:
    • The back of the tongue stretches up a little bit.
  • ending position:
    • The jaw drops less as the tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth

/oʊ/

  • starting position:
    • The jaw drops, the lips may stay relaxed or rounding right from the beginning.
    • The tongue shifts back a little bit
  • ending position:
    • The lips round
    • The back of the tongue stretches up
Word practice: /oʊ/
Word Phonetic
alone /ə'loʊ/
home /hoʊm/
window /'win doʊ/
phone /foʊn/
social /'soʊ ʃəl/

/aʊ/

  • starting position:
    • The jaw drops, similar to /a/
    • The tongue is wide and flat, the back stretches up a little bit
    • The tongue tip touches the back of the bottom front teeth
  • ending position:
    • The lips round and the jaw drop less
    • The back of the tongue stretches up more
Word practice: /aʊ/
word
wound /waʊnd/
shutdown /ʃʌt daʊn/
about /ə'baʊt/
sound /saʊnd/
blackout /'blæk,aʊt/

/ɔɪ/

  • starting position:
    • The tongue is slightly lifted and shifted a bit back
  • ending position:
    • The tongue comes forward, slightly touching the back of the bottom front teeth
    • The top front part of tongue arches up towards the roof of the mouth
Word practice: /ɔɪ/
word
toy /tɔɪ/
oil /ɔɪl/
coin /kɔɪn/
tabloid /tæb lɔɪd/

/ju/

  • starting position(y):
    • The jaw drops a little bit, the lips may be relaxed, or may begin rounding for the ending position
    • The tongue tips is down, lightly touching the back of the bottom front teeth
    • The middle front part of the tongue lifts and touches the roof of the mouth. It pushes forward against the roof of the mouth before pulling away
  • ending position:
    • Release right into the position of /u/
    • The tongue remains touchings the back of the bottom front teeth
    • The back part of the tongue lifts towards the soft palate
    • The lips round
Word practice: /ju/
word
use /juz/
music /'mju zɪk/
continue /kən'tɪn ju/
interview /ɪnər,vju/