You know how vowels make up every word we speak? Well, not all vowels are created equal. There are actually two main types of vowel sounds: monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are pure vowel sounds that stay the same from start to finish. But diphthongs start as one vowel sound and glide into another vowel sound, so they’re a bit more complex.
This article will walk you through the 12 monophthongs in English, with tons of word examples to help you easily remember them.
What Are Monophthongs?
A Monophthong is a pure vowel sound, one whose articulation at both beginning and end is relatively fixed and does not glide up or down towards a new position of articulation. In other words, the tongue, lips, and jaw remain in the same position during the production of the vowel.
Monophthongs are simple vowel sounds pronounced without gliding to another vowel. They’re the purest of vowel sounds. There are 20 vowel sounds in English. Among them, 12 pure vowel sounds (monophthongs) and 8 diphthongs in the English language.
Monophthongs are the building blocks of speech and are essential for clear pronunciation and comprehension in English. Master them, and you’ll have a solid foundation in the language.
The 12 Monophthong Vowel Sounds in English and Examples
The English language has 12 monophthong vowel sounds. A monophthong is a single vowel sound pronounced with the same tongue position throughout.
English has 12 monophthongs, which are:
The 12 monophthongs in English are:
- /i:/ as in “see”
- /ɪ/ as in “sit”
- /e/ as in “set”
- /æ/ as in “sat”
- /ɑ:/ as in “start”
- /ɔ:/ as in “saw”
- /ʊ/ as in “foot”
- /u:/ as in “boot”
- /ʌ/ as in “cut”
- /ɜ:/ as in “bird”
- /ə/ as in “comma”
- /ɪə/ as in “beer”
THE SHORT VOWELS
Short monophthongs are vowels with a ‘short’ sound, which means that they are not extended sounds. They are:
- /ɪ/ as in sit.
- /ʊ/ as in boot.
- /e/ as in bed.
- /ə/ as in letter.
- /æ/ as in rat.
- /ʌ/ as in bus.
- /ɒ/ as in pot.
THE LONG VOWELS
Long monophthongs are vowels with long pronunciation; they are:
- /a:/ as in calm.
- /u:/ as in cool.
- /i:/ as in leap.
- /3:/ as in turn.
- /ɔ:/ as in all.
These 12 monophthong vowel sounds are the building blocks of English speech. Familiarizing yourself with their different pronunciations and the rules that govern them will help improve your English pronunciation and spelling.
[ɪ]
The ɪ vowel is pronounced as the ‘i’ in ‘sit’ or ‘fish.’ To pronounce ɪ, slightly raise and front your tongue while keeping your lips neutral and spread.
Examples:
- sit
- pitch
- miss
- kiss
- tip
This short front vowel has a high-mid quality and is found in many common English words. Keep practicing the pronunciation and listen to native speakers to master this essential English vowel.
[i:]
The monophthong [i:] is pronounced like the ‘ee’ in ‘see.’ To pronounce it, spread your lips in a smile, pull the corners of your mouth back, and say ‘ee.’
Examples:
- See
- Bee
- Tree
- Flee
- Knee
This monophthong is a long vowel sound. Your mouth is in the same position for the whole duration of the vowel. Compare this to the short ‘i’ vowel in ‘sit,’ where your mouth changes shape during the pronunciation. Words containing [i:] tend to be spelled with ‘ee’ or ‘ea.’
[u:]
The vowel sound [u:] is pronounced like the ‘oo’ in ‘moon.’ To make this sound, round your lips and keep your tongue low and flat in your mouth. Hold this position as you say the sound.
Examples:
- Blue – The word ‘blue’ contains the [u:] sound.
- Glue – The word ‘glue’ also uses the [u:] vowel.
- Flu – The word ‘flu’ utilizes the [u:] sound.
- Shoe – The word ‘shoe’ incorporates the [u:] vowel.
- Two – The number ‘two’ employs the [u:] sound.
[ʊ]
The [ʊ] sound is a close-mid back rounded vowel. To pronounce it, start with the [u:] sound, then round your lips. Hold that position and move your tongue forward and up slightly. It has a sound between [u:] and [oʊ].
Some examples of words with the [ʊ] vowel are:
- Book
- Foot
- Should
- Put
- Pull
This vowel is common in American English and gives the language a very rounded, full sound. Practice pronouncing these examples and see if you can hear the difference between [ʊ] and its neighboring vowels. With regular practice, producing and recognizing this sound will become second nature.
[e]
The [e] sound is pronounced as the ‘e’ in ‘pet’. To make this vowel sound, start with your mouth open and your tongue in the middle of your mouth. Then, raise the middle of your tongue up towards the roof of your mouth. Your lips should be slightly spread.
Examples:
- bed
- pen
- desk
- breath
- leather
[ɜ:]
The vowel [ɜ:] is pronounced similarly to the ‘ur’ in ‘fur’ or ‘er’ in ‘her.’ To make this sound, start with your mouth open and your tongue in a mid-central position. Then, pull your tongue back slightly while keeping your lips rounded.
Examples:
- Bird
- Word
- Heard
- Learned
- Concerned
- Turn
This vowel is a long monophthong, meaning it is pronounced as a single vowel sound. Compare it to the diphthong [aɪ] in ‘high,’ where two vowel sounds are combined. The [ɜ:] vowel tends to appear in the middle or at the end of words in English.
[ə]
The [ə] vowel, known as ‘schwa,’ is the most common vowel sound in English. It’s a weak, unstressed vowel pronounced as ‘uh.’ To make the schwa sound, relax your mouth and jaw, open your lips slightly, and make a neutral ‘uh’ sound.
Some common words containing [ə] are:
- About
- Pencil
- Photograph
- Consider
- Pollution
This vowel is very adaptable and can represent many letters like a, e, i, o, and u in unstressed syllables or positions. The schwa allows us to quickly pronounce words without over-articulating each vowel, enabling fluent and efficient speech.
[ɔ:]
The vowel sound [ɔ:] is pronounced like the ‘aw’ in ‘law’ or ‘saw.’ To make this sound, start with your mouth open and your lips rounded, then draw your tongue back.
Examples:
- Law
- Saw
- Paw
- Caught
- Taught
This vowel is a back vowel, meaning your tongue is positioned towards the back of your mouth when you say it. The [ɔ:] sound is a long vowel, so pronounce it by saying the vowel sound for a longer duration. Contrast this with the short [ɒ] vowel in ‘cot’ or ‘bob.’
[ɑ:]
The [ɑ:] monophthong is pronounced as the “a” in “father.” To make the sound, start with your mouth open and tongue in a mid-low position. Slowly draw your tongue backward while keeping your lips rounded. Hold the position briefly, then release.
Examples:
- Calm
- Heart
- Aunt
- Laugh
- Half
This vowel is known as a broad A and is found in many English words. Practice the pronunciation and look for opportunities to use these types of words in speech or writing to help cement this monophthong in your memory.
[ɒ]
The [ɒ] sound is pronounced like the ‘o’ in cot or hot. To make this vowel sound, start with your mouth open and rounded, then draw your lips back and raise your tongue.
Examples:
- Cot
- Hot
- Pot
- Sot
- Rot
This is one of the 12 monophthongs or simple vowel sounds in English. Producing this sound correctly is important for speaking clearly and with an English accent. Practice saying the examples aloud and listening to native English speakers to master the [ɒ] vowel.
[ʌ]
The vowel sound [ʌ] is pronounced like the ‘u’ in ‘cup’. Your mouth is open and relaxed, and your tongue is in a neutral position. To make the [ʌ] sound, start with your mouth open and tongue relaxed. Raise the back of your tongue slightly while keeping the tip down. Your lips should be neutral or slightly rounded. The key is a relaxed, open mouth and neutral tongue position.
Examples
- Cup
- Run
- Sun
- Gun
- Duck
This lax vowel, [ʌ], often appears in short, one-syllable words, though not always. Practice the pronunciation and look for opportunities to use these new words in speech and writing. With regular use, the [ʌ] sound will become second nature.
[æ]
The vowel sound [æ] is pronounced like the “a” in “cat.” It’s a short vowel sound. To make this sound, start with your mouth open and relaxed. Your tongue should be in a neutral position in your mouth. Then, raise the front part of your tongue slightly while keeping the back part down. Your lips should be slightly spread.
Examples of words with the [æ] vowel sound:
- Cat
- Mat
- Sat
- Rag
- Bag
This vowel is commonly used in one-syllable words in English, especially for casual or conversational speech. It often appears before voiceless consonants like /t/, /s/ and /k/. The [æ] sound is a staple in many short, simple English words.
These 12 pure vowel sounds, also known as monophthongs, are the building blocks of the English language. Master them to gain a strong foundation in pronunciation and spelling.
Tips for Pronouncing Monophthongs Clearly
To pronounce monophthongs accurately, follow these tips:
- Focus on mouth position. The shape and position of your lips and tongue determine the sound. For /i/, spread your lips and lift your tongue. For /u/, round your lips and pull your tongue back.
- Listen to native speakers. Hearing the sounds pronounced properly can help you mimic the right mouth position and tongue placement.
- Start from the middle. Focus on monophthongs in the middle of words first before moving on to those at the beginning or end. This makes them easier to articulate.
- Slow down your speech. Speaking too quickly can cause monophthongs to blend together or be dropped. Slow down and pay attention to each sound.
- Record yourself. Recording yourself reading a passage aloud and then listening back can help you identify any monophthong sounds you’re mispronouncing so you can practice them.
- Practice tongue twisters. Tongue twisters containing multiple instances of the same monophthong sound are an engaging way to practice pronunciation. For /i/, try “peep peep Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.”
- Exaggerate the sounds. Initially, exaggerate the mouth positions and tongue placements for each monophthong sound. This helps establish the correct articulation in your muscle memory. You can then soften your pronunciation with practice.
- Start with familiar words. Begin with monophthongs in words you know well before moving on to new vocabulary. This boosts your confidence in pronouncing them accurately.
Conclusion
So there you have it, the 12 monophthongs that make up the simple vowel sounds in English. From the short lax vowels like /ɪ/ in ‘sit’ to the long, tense vowels like /i/ in ‘see,’ these basic sounds are the building blocks of the words we speak every day. While it may seem like a lot to remember at first, with a little practice, you’ll be producing these monophthongs like a pro. Just listen closely to native speakers, pay attention to your mouth position, and don’t be afraid to make some funny faces and sounds as you try them out. Mastering monophthongs is an important step toward improving your overall English pronunciation and being better understood. The more aware you are of these 12 pure vowel sounds, the more natural your speech will become.