The English language has a total of 20 vowel sounds, which can be categorized into two main groups: short vowels and long vowels. Short vowels are typically shorter in duration and have a more closed mouth position, while long vowels are longer in duration and have a more open mouth position.
1. /ɪ/ – This is the vowel sound in words like “pit” and “hit.” It is a short, closed vowel sound.
2. /e/ – This sound can be heard in words like “pet” and “met.” It is also a short vowel sound.
3. /æ/ – The vowel sound in words like “pat” and “cat” is represented by this symbol. It is another short vowel sound.
4. /ʌ/ – This sound can be found in words like “cut” and “luck.” It is a short, mid-central vowel sound.
5. /ʊ/ – The vowel sound in words like “put” and “book” is represented by this symbol. It is a short, closed vowel sound.
6. /ɒ/ – This sound is heard in words like “dog” and “hot.” It is a short, back vowel sound.
7. /ə/ – The schwa sound, represented by this symbol, is the most common vowel sound in English. It is found in words like “about” and “banana.” It is a short, neutral vowel sound.
Moving on to the long vowel sounds:
8. /i:/ – This is the long vowel sound in words like “week” and “see.” It is a high, front vowel sound.
9. /ɑ:/ – The vowel sound in words like “hard” and “car” is represented by this symbol. It is a long, open vowel sound.
10. /ɔ:/ – This sound can be heard in words like “fork” and “born.” It is a long, back vowel sound.
11. /ɜ:/ – The vowel sound in words like “heard” and “bird” is represented by this symbol. It is a long, mid-central vowel sound.
12. /u:/ – This is the long vowel sound in words like “boot” and “moon.” It is a high, back vowel sound.
Additionally, there are a few diphthongs in English, which are vowel sounds that consist of a glide from one vowel to another:
13. /eɪ/ – This diphthong can be heard in words like “day” and “may.” It starts with the /e/ sound and glides into the /ɪ/ sound.
14. /aɪ/ – The diphthong in words like “fly” and “my” starts with the /a/ sound and glides into the /ɪ/ sound.
15. /ɔɪ/ – This diphthong can be found in words like “boy” and “toy.” It starts with the /ɔ/ sound and glides into the /ɪ/ sound.
16. /əʊ/ – The diphthong in words like “go” and “boat” starts with the schwa sound /ə/ and glides into the /ʊ/ sound.
17. /aʊ/ – This diphthong can be heard in words like “cow” and “now.” It starts with the /a/ sound and glides into the /ʊ/ sound.
18. /ɪə/ – The diphthong in words like “beer” and “here” starts with the /ɪ/ sound and glides into the /ə/ sound.
19. /eə/ – This diphthong can be found in words like “air” and “care.” It starts with the /e/ sound and glides into the /ə/ sound.
20. /ʊə/ – The diphthong in words like “tour” and “pure” starts with the /ʊ/ sound and glides into the /ə/ sound.
These 20 vowel sounds cover the range of sounds used in English words. It is important to note that individual accents and dialects may vary in their pronunciation of these sounds, but this overview provides a general understanding of the vowel sounds in English.