What are the types of vowel sounds?

There are many ways to classify vowel sounds, but the most common way is by their position of the tongue in the mouth. This is called the vowel quadrilateral. Here's a basic breakdown:

1. Front vowels:

- The tongue is positioned towards the front of the mouth.

- Examples: /i/ (bee), /e/ (bet), /æ/ (bat), /ɪ/ (bit), /ɛ/ (bet)

2. Back vowels:

- The tongue is positioned towards the back of the mouth.

- Examples: /u/ (boo), /ɔ/ (bought), /ɑ/ (father), /ʊ/ (put), /ʌ/ (but)

3. Central vowels:

- The tongue is positioned in the middle of the mouth.

- Examples: /ə/ (about), /ɜ/ (bird), /ʌ/ (but)

4. High vowels:

- The tongue is raised towards the roof of the mouth.

- Examples: /i/ (bee), /u/ (boo), /ɪ/ (bit), /ʊ/ (put)

5. Low vowels:

- The tongue is low in the mouth.

- Examples: /æ/ (bat), /ɑ/ (father), /ɔ/ (bought)

6. Mid vowels:

- The tongue is in a mid position.

- Examples: /e/ (bet), /ɛ/ (bet), /ə/ (about), /ɜ/ (bird), /ʌ/ (but)

7. Rounded vowels:

- The lips are rounded.

- Examples: /u/ (boo), /ʊ/ (put), /ɔ/ (bought), /ɜ/ (bird)

8. Unrounded vowels:

- The lips are not rounded.

- Examples: /i/ (bee), /e/ (bet), /æ/ (bat), /ɪ/ (bit), /ɛ/ (bet), /ɑ/ (father), /ʌ/ (but), /ə/ (about)

It's important to note:

* The exact position of the tongue and lips can vary slightly between languages and dialects.

* Some vowel sounds can be considered "diphthongs" where the tongue moves during the pronunciation, such as /aɪ/ (buy) and /aʊ/ (cow).

For a more detailed explanation, you can search online for "vowel quadrilateral" or "vowel chart."