International Phonetic Alphabet
Partial listing of Symbols: English Language Vowels
© 2003 Roy E. Howard, Ph.D. Western New Mexico University
consonants

VOWELS

Vowel quality is determined by the tongue's vertical (high to low) and horizontal (front to back) position

 Front Vowels
  

 Mid Vowels
  

 Back Vowels
  

 


meet
meet
    

 

boot
shoe
  



mit
sit
  

 

mutt
luck
  

 
foot
book
  

 

mate
fate
  

 

about
  

 .
toro
  

 

met
bed

 
older

 
little

 

oven

 
boat
coat
  

 

mat
bat

 

hi
(Texas and Eastern New Mexico dialect)

 

pa
(ma and pa)

 

caught
(New England dialect)
thought
   

 


hi

(Western New Mexico Dialect)
    

 
boy
   


 
house