English Phonetics & Phonology: Consonants, Vowels, and the IPA Chart
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The Phonemic System of Received Pronunciation (RP)
English contains 44 distinct phonemes: 24 consonants, 12 pure vowels (monophthongs), and 8 diphthongs.
Classifying English Consonants (Three-Term Label)
Every consonant sound is identified by three physiological criteria:
- Voicing: Vocal cord vibration (Voiced e.g., /b, d, z, v/) vs. non-vibration (Voiceless e.g., /p, t, s, f/).
- Place of Articulation: Bilabial, Labiodental, Dental, Alveolar, Post-Alveolar, Palatal, Velar, Glottal.
- Manner of Articulation: Plosives, Fricatives, Affricates, Nasals, Lateral Approximants, Approximants.
Vowel Classification in English
Vowels are produced without vocal tract obstruction and categorized by:
- Tongue Height: Close (High), Half-close, Half-open, Open (Low).
- Tongue Part: Front, Central, Back.
- Lip Shape: Rounded, Unrounded (Spread/Neutral).
- Length: Short vowels (/ɪ, e, æ, ʌ, ɒ, ʊ, ə/) vs. Long vowels (/i:, ɑ:, ɔ:, u:, ɜ:/).
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