4/7/2023 0 Comments Vowel soundsThere are a few abbreviations that are now considered words, like “Dr.” and “TV,” which only consist of consonants. This can happen in words that do not have any vowels at all. While all syllables are required to have a vowel sound, there are some special cases where no vowel itself is present. Dividing words into syllables is an important tool in learning to read, write, and pronounce words. In most cases, this means all syllables have to have a vowel. As a rule, all syllables have one vowel sound. Syllables are smaller units of pronunciation that divide a word and help with articulation and spelling. Why do we bother making the distinction? The main reason that vowels exist is to help break words down into syllables. With all of the clear distinctions between vowels and consonants, you might wonder what vowels are actually used for. New vowel sounds can even be created with more than two letters, as in the word “beauty.” As with the vowel pairs, the trio of EAU in “beauty” forms a completely new vowel sound. In the word “cause,” for example, the letters A and U blend to form a new speech sound different from the sounds of the two individual letters. The same goes for different vowels paired together. With vowels, this often occurs with pairs of the same letter, like in the words “book,” and “smooth.” We learn through school and practice that these are articulated as one long vowel sound rather than two individual O sounds. Rather than create additional letters for each speech sound, which would result in an alphabet much larger than our own, the English language has vowel digraphs and vowel teams that combine to form new speech sounds. Vowels can make different pitches, lengths, and tones. As with consonants, individual vowels can only do so much on their own. You may notice that there are far more vowel sounds than represented by A, E, I, O, U, and Y. If you’re ever unsure whether a letter is a vowel or a consonant, saying it out loud will help. In order to articulate the speech sound represented by M, air flows through the vocal cords and is then blocked completely by the lips. This will make it clear what speech sound involves blockage of airflow. As with the examples where Y is a consonant, all letters that are consonants can be easily determined by saying them out loud. This can be partial blockage or complete closure of the vocal cords. Unlike vowels, consonants involve blockage or constriction of airflow when they are articulated. When Y is a consonant, it is typically at the beginning of a word or syllable. In general, most uses of the letter Y are vowels. Now try saying the words “yard” and “canyon.” In these cases, the letter Y represents a sound that requires subtle manipulation of the mouth to partly block airflow, therefore Y is a consonant. You will notice that the speech sounds represented by the letter Y are fully open. Try saying the words “may,” “silly,” and “cry” out loud. The letter Y can function as a vowel or a consonant depending on the word it’s in. This open airflow is what differentiates vowels from consonants. When articulated, the way in which the air flows through the vocal cords is open, without any blockage. These are always vowel sounds regardless of the word. The five standard vowels are A, E, I, O, and U. If a speech sound is pronounced without any blockage of the vocal cords, it is considered a vowel. Air flows through our vocal cords and is constricted as we articulate. When we speak, we are pronouncing speech sounds represented by each letter. Discussing letters in relation to airflow may seem odd, but it’s actually a straightforward way to understand a much more complex concept in linguistics.
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