Open front unrounded vowel: Difference between revisions
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Most languages have some form of an unrounded open vowel. For languages that only have a single low vowel, the symbol for this vowel (a) is usually used because it is the only low vowel whose symbol is part of the basic [[Latin alphabet]]. However, in all of the following languages except Igbo, the <a> is closer to a central [ä] than to a front [a]. |
Most languages have some form of an unrounded open vowel. For languages that only have a single low vowel, the symbol for this vowel (a) is usually used because it is the only low vowel whose symbol is part of the basic [[Latin alphabet]]. However, in all of the following languages except Igbo, the <a> is closer to a central [ä] than to a front [a]. |
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=== In English === |
=== In [[English language|English]] === |
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* ([[Australian English|AuE]] and [[New Zealand English|NZE]]) ''c'''u'''t'' {{IPA|[kat]}} and ''c'''ar'''t'' {{IPA|[kaːt]}} |
* ([[Australian English|AuE]] and [[New Zealand English|NZE]]) ''c'''u'''t'' {{IPA|[kat]}} and ''c'''ar'''t'' {{IPA|[kaːt]}} |
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* In [[General American|GA]] this vowel occurs only as the first part of the [[diphthong]]s {{IPA|[aɪ]}}, as in ''light'' {{IPA|[laɪt]}}; and {{IPA|[aʊ]}}, as in ''how'' {{IPA|[haʊ]}}. However, in the [[Great Lakes]] region, this vowel occurs in words like ''stock'' as a result of the [[Northern Cities Vowel Shift]]. |
* In [[General American|GA]] this vowel occurs only as the first part of the [[diphthong]]s {{IPA|[aɪ]}}, as in ''light'' {{IPA|[laɪt]}}; and {{IPA|[aʊ]}}, as in ''how'' {{IPA|[haʊ]}}. However, in the [[Great Lakes]] region, this vowel occurs in words like ''stock'' as a result of the [[Northern Cities Vowel Shift]]. |
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Revision as of 11:49, 29 January 2006
| IPA number | 304 | ||
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| Audio sample | |||
| Encoding | |||
| X-SAMPA | a | ||
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The open front unrounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The symbol in the International Phonetic Alphabet that represents this sound is a, and the equivalent X-SAMPA symbol is a.
This symbol is very frequently used for an open central unrounded vowel, and this usage is accepted by the International Phonetic Association. Since no language distinguishes front from central open vowels, a separate symbol is not considered necessary. If required, the difference may be specified with the central diacritic, [ä].
Features
- Its vowel height is open, which means the tongue is positioned as far as possible from the roof of the mouth.
- Its vowel backness is front which means the tongue is positioned as far forward as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant. This subsumes central open vowels because the tongue does not have as much flexibility in positioning as it does for the close vowels; the difference between an open front vowel and an open back vowel is equal to the difference between a close front and a close mid vowel, or a close mid and a close back vowel.
- Its vowel roundedness is unrounded, which means that the lips are not rounded.
Occurs in
Most languages have some form of an unrounded open vowel. For languages that only have a single low vowel, the symbol for this vowel (a) is usually used because it is the only low vowel whose symbol is part of the basic Latin alphabet. However, in all of the following languages except Igbo, the <a> is closer to a central [ä] than to a front [a].
In English
- (AuE and NZE) cut [kat] and cart [kaːt]
- In GA this vowel occurs only as the first part of the diphthongs [aɪ], as in light [laɪt]; and [aʊ], as in how [haʊ]. However, in the Great Lakes region, this vowel occurs in words like stock as a result of the Northern Cities Vowel Shift.
- In traditional RP this vowel occurs only in the same diphthongs as it does in GA. However many British English accents (especially in Northern England and Scotland) use it where RP usually uses [æ], in words such as trap and bat. The symbol /a/ is now used for the vowel of British English trap and bat in dictionaries of the Oxford University Press.
- In many varieties of Canadian English, it occurs in words like bat as a result of the Canadian Shift.
- This vowel occurs in the Boston accent, for example in star [staː] and father [faːðə].
In other languages
- Igbo: ákụ́ [ákú̙], kernel (a front vowel)
- Dutch: zaal [zäːl], hall (or a back vowel, depending on dialect and generation of speaker)
- French: rat [ʀä], 'rat'
- German: ratte ['ʀätə], 'rat' (or a back vowel, depending on dialect)
(According to T. Alan Hall: "Phonologie: eine Einführung" - Berlin; New York: de Gruyter, 2000, ISBN 3-11-015641-5, chapter I, page 25, the German [a] is a central vowel)