Short vowels: /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/
Short Vowels in English: /æ/, /ɛ/, /ɪ/, /ɒ/, /ʌ/
These five vowels are considered “short” in English because they are typically pronounced with a shorter duration and a higher pitch than their longer counterparts.
/æ/
- Pronunciation: As in “cat”, “bad”, “hat”
- Characteristics: Open front unrounded vowel.
- Examples: “happy”, “apple”, “black”
/ɛ/
- Pronunciation: As in “bet”, “met”, “let”
- Characteristics: Mid-front unrounded vowel.
- Examples: “bed”, “fed”, “head”
/ɪ/
- Pronunciation: As in “bit”, “sit”, “hit”
- Characteristics: Close-front unrounded vowel.
- Examples: “pin”, “tin”, “win”
/ɒ/
- Pronunciation: As in “hot”, “not”, “got”
- Characteristics: Open back rounded vowel.
- Examples: “dog”, “log”, “frog”
/ʌ/
- Pronunciation: As in “but”, “cut”, “hut”
- Characteristics: Mid-back unrounded vowel.
- Examples: “cup”, “duck”, “luck”
Key points to remember:
- Short duration: These vowels are typically pronounced with a shorter duration than their longer counterparts.
- Higher pitch: They tend to have a higher pitch than longer vowels.
- Unrounded: None of these vowels are rounded (i.e., the lips are not rounded during pronunciation).
- Open or mid: Most of these vowels are open or mid-open, meaning the mouth is relatively open during pronunciation.
Practice: Try saying words containing these vowels to familiarize yourself with their sounds and pronunciations.
