英语语音-unit-3-English-Back-Vowels

EnglishBackVowelsTherearesixbackvowelsinEnglish.Thebackvowelsareproducedbyshiftingthebodyofthetonguebackfromitscentralposition.Thetipofthetongueremainsatthelevelofthelowerteeth.Unlikethefrontvowelsthataremadewithafairlyneutrallipposture,fourofthebackvowelsarerounded.Thebackvowelsmayalsobesubdividedintothosethatarehighlike/u:/and/ʊ/,thosethataremidlike/ɔ:/and/Λ/,andthosethatarelowlike/α:/and/ɒ/./u:/and/ʊ//u:/and/ʊ/arebothhigh,back,roundedvowels.The/u:/marksthehighestboundaryforthebackvowelsinEnglish,as/i:/doesforthefrontvowels.Therefore,thetongueisretractedfromitsrestpositionandraisedtowardthesoftpalate.ThisvowelisquitecommoninthelanguagesoftheworldandappearswithoutprobleminmostChineselearners.Alongwith/u:/,/ʊ/completesthevowelsinthehighbackspaceonthevowelschart.Itscorrespondingfrontvowelis/ı/.Whenmakingthesound,thetongueisretractedasfor/u:/butnotelevatedtothesameextent.Inaddition,the/ʊ/vowelisnotmadewithasmuchtensionintherootofthetongueas/u:/./ɔ:/and//ɒ//ɔ:/isamid-backvowel.Foritsproduction,thetongueisretractedandalmostflatinthemouth.Thevowelisalmostfullybackandhasquitestronglip-rounding./ɒ/isalowvowel.Thelipsareslightlyrounded./ɒ/isadifficultvowelfortheChineselearners.Manyofthemuseashortenedversionof/ɔ:/asitssubstitution.Toensurecorrectpronunciation,itisimportanttomakethefollowingdistinctionbetweenthesetwovowels:1./ɒ/isalowvowelwhile/ɒ/isamidvowel,sothemouthismoreopenfor/ɒ/,2./ɔ:/hasquitestrongliproundingwhilethelipsareonlyslightlyroundedfor/ɒ/./α:/and/Λ//α:/ismadebyloweringandflatteningthetongueintheoralcavity.Itisalowvowel,butnotasbackasotherbackvowelsinEnglish./Λ/isquitedifferentfromothervowelsinthisgroupinthatitismorelikeacentralvowelthanabackvowel(seethevowelchart)./Λ/ismadewiththetongueintheapproximatemiddleofthemouth,perhapsshiftedbackslightly.Itislowerthantheothercentralvowels/з:/and/ə/.Thelippositionisneutral.ListeningExercise–Sounddiscrimination1.foolfull2.cooedcould3.poolpull4.Lukelook5.wooedwould6.kookycookie7.caughtcot8.hawkhock9.dawndon10.taughttot11.hearthot12.guardgod13.carpcop14.larklock15.barnbun16.darkduck17.marchmuch18.calmcome19.cartcut20.harmhumListeningExercise–Sounddiscrimination1.foolfull2.cooedcould3.poolpull4.Lukelook5.wooedwould6.kookycookie7.caughtcot8.hawkhock9.dawndon10.taughttot11.hearthot12.guardgod13.carpcop14.larklock15.barnbun16.darkduck17.marchmuch18.calmcome19.cartcut20.harmhumListeningExercise–Soundsforinformation1.I'mgoingto__________.A.cookitB.washit2.Well,totellyouthetruth,___________.A.SusanistheonlyonethatIknowB.Iknownothingabouthisstuff3.Thespeakerwastalkingaboutthewomanlosingher__________.A.hutB.heart4.NeitherhaveI.______________A.Didyoumakeityourself?B.Whendidyoubuildit?5.Oh,wasitbecauseof__________?A.thecolourofitsscalesB.thehatheiswearing6.Thespeakerisgoingtogetridofthe______.A.cotB.cart7.Thespeakerislookingforthe_____.A.forksB.fox8.Hetoldthespeakerthattheman________.A.wasdeadB.wasnottall9.Thespeakerisgoingto________.A.haveawalkB.cookwithawok10.Yes,theytoldmethat__________.A.theywereabletoB.theyspokesoftlyandlovinglyListeningExercise–Soundsforinformation1.I'mgoingto__________.A.cookitB.washit2.Well,totellyouthetruth,___________.A.SusanistheonlyonethatIknowB.Iknownothingabouthisstuff3.Thespeakerwastalkingaboutthewomanlosingher__________.A.hutB.heart4.NeitherhaveI.______________A.Didyoumakeityourself?B.Whendidyoubuildit?5.Oh,wasitbecauseof__________?A.thecolourofitsscalesB.thehatheiswearing6.Thespeakerisgoingtogetridofthe______.A.cotB.cart7.Thespeakerislookingforthe_____.A.forksB.fox8.Hetoldthespeakerthattheman________.A.wasdeadB.wasnottall9.Thespeakerisgoingto________.A.haveawalkB.cookwithawok10.Yes,theytoldmethat__________.A.theywereabletoB.theyspokesoftlyandlovinglyBackvowels&theirdescription/:/low,back,unroundedvowel/ɒ/low,backroundedvowel/ɔ:/mid-low,back,roundedvowel/ʊ/lowerhigh,back,roundedvowel/u:/high,back,roundedvowel/Λ/lowermid,central,unroundedvowel