1. The Role of the Vocal Cords:
* Vibration: The vocal cords, located in the larynx, vibrate to create a sound wave. This vibration is the fundamental element of all voiced sounds, including vowels.
2. Shaping the Vocal Tract:
* Tongue Position: The position of the tongue, from front to back and high to low, significantly impacts the shape of the vocal tract.
* Front vowels: The tongue is positioned forward in the mouth, like in "ee" (as in "bee") or "eh" (as in "bed").
* Back vowels: The tongue is positioned further back, like in "oo" (as in "food") or "ah" (as in "father").
* High vowels: The tongue is raised towards the roof of the mouth, like in "ee" or "oo".
* Low vowels: The tongue is lowered, like in "ah" or "eh".
* Lip Shape: The shape of the lips also influences the sound.
* Rounded vowels: The lips are pursed, as in "oo" or "oh" (as in "boat").
* Spread vowels: The lips are stretched out, like in "ee" or "eh".
3. Resonance:
* Changing the Shape: The different tongue and lip positions create varying spaces within the vocal tract, causing different frequencies of sound to resonate.
* Frequency Resonance: The resonant frequencies determine the specific vowel sound produced.
4. The Vowel Chart:
* Visual Representation: The vowel chart provides a visual representation of vowel sounds based on tongue position and lip shape.
Examples:
* "ee" (as in "bee"): Tongue is forward and high, lips spread.
* "ah" (as in "father"): Tongue is back and low, lips relaxed.
* "oo" (as in "food"): Tongue is back and high, lips rounded.
* "oh" (as in "boat"): Tongue is back and mid-high, lips rounded.
In Summary:
Vowel production is a complex process involving vocal cord vibration, shaping the vocal tract through tongue and lip movements, and resonating sound frequencies. These elements work together to create the distinct sounds that make up the vowels of our language.