Vowel Sounds

Syllabic speech sounds articulated without vocal tract constriction, mapped on the IPA vowel quadrilateral.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Daniel Jones defined the cardinal vowel reference points in the early 20th century.
• Vowel quality is determined acoustically by the first two formants, F1 and F2.
• The IPA chart plots vowels by tongue height, backness, and lip rounding.