Let’s Learn To Say Vowels

Vowel sounds

Vowel sounds are produced when the air from the lungs flows through the throat and oral area without any obstruction.

The air flows continuously vibrate the vocal fold to produce sounds. If the vocal folds stop vibrating, no sounds are produced.

The figure below shows the air flows to produce vowel sounds.

Figure the airflows to produce vowels
Source: http://shamelesssinging.com

Vowels category

Source: http://blog.maketaketeach.com

Generally, there are eight vowel sounds in modern Malay language. The sounds are divided into three groups. These groups are depending on the sound production of each vowel.

Production of vowel sounds

Sound production of each vowel is different and depends mainly by the shape of the mouth. The shapes of the lip can be rounded, or flat and the location of the tongue can be either in the front, central or the back of the mouth.

The closure of nasal cavity avoids the air from exiting the nostrils that may produce hypernasality.

The figure below shows the mouth structure that involves in the production of vowel sounds.

Figure of the moth structure
Source www.bukharis.net

Figure of flat and rounded lips
Source: assignment.oum.edu.my

Details giving below describe the differences of how different vowel sounds are produced.

Video:

1. Front close vowel [i]
2. Front partially close vowel [e]
3. Front partially open vowel [ɛ]
4. Front open vowel [a]
5. Central vowel [ə]
6. Back close vowel [u]
7. Back partially close vowels [o]
8. Back partially open vowel [ɔ]

Reference

1. Roslan Daud, (2012). Penghasilan Bunyi Vokal. Diambil dari pbahasa.dbp.my/wordpress/?p=207assignment.oum.edu.my./uploadasg/HBML1203SMP/18544/691121115118_151346_final.pdf, pada 1 September 2015