# Vowel series

Here is the vowel tension charts of vowel sets that I recently derived.

{% hint style="danger" %}
This is my second Vowel Model hypothesis, which has problems. View the others via the buttons below.

Vowel Model v3 is the tidiest and most concise, but I have yet to integrate it with my teaching methodology.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="success" %}
Vowel Model v1 is the model that I am currently using to teach English pronunciation.
{% endhint %}

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Vowel Model v1</td><td><a href="vowel-series/vowel-model-v1">vowel-model-v1</a></td></tr><tr><td>Vowel Model v2</td><td><a href="vowel-series/vowel-model-v2">vowel-model-v2</a></td></tr><tr><td>Vowel Model v3 <em>(latest)</em></td><td><a href="vowel-series/vowel-model-v3">vowel-model-v3</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Vowel Model version 2

{% hint style="danger" %}
This is my second Vowel Model hypothesis, which has problems.

It is a nice theory, it works pretty well, and I will keep developing it until it breaks or is resolved.

View the others via the buttons above.

[vowel-model-v3](https://lang.gitbook.io/pronunciation-mastery/sound-system/vowel-series/vowel-model-v3 "mention") is currently the most stable and symmetrical.
{% endhint %}

## Vowel class table

<table><thead><tr><th width="206.09088134765625">class</th><th width="115">glide vowel</th><th width="115">rhotic vowel</th><th width="132">checked vowel</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><a data-mention href="#a-series-a">#a-series-a</a></td><td>ɑj</td><td>ɑɹ</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="#e-series-e-e-e">#e-series-e-e-e</a></td><td>ɛj</td><td>ɛɹ</td><td>ɛ</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="#i-series-i">#i-series-i</a></td><td>ɪj</td><td>ɪɹ</td><td>ɪ</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="#o-series">#o-series</a></td><td>oj</td><td>oɹ</td><td>ɔ</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="#u-series-u">#u-series-u</a></td><td>ɵʉ</td><td>ɵɹ</td><td>ɵ</td></tr><tr><td><a data-mention href="#series-a-a">#series-a-a</a></td><td>aʉ</td><td>ɜɹ</td><td>a</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Notes about the document:

* The rhotic pattern is used primarily. This can be parsed into your own accent easily:
  * /ɹ/ mutates to /ɚ/, /ə/ or an elongated base vowel, e.g. /ɛɹ/ → /ɛː/.

***

## A series: aɪ – ɑɹ – ʌ

Reanalysis: ɑj – ɑɹ – ʌ

{% hint style="info" %}
This is A like in star, far, bar, car; and *not* A  like in cat, hat, sat, mat.
{% endhint %}

#### Qualities

1. ɑj  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. ɑɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound
3. ʌ   –  relaxed, short, checked

#### Accent classes

<table><thead><tr><th width="135"></th><th width="87">glide</th><th width="81">rho</th><th width="90">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rhotic acç</td><td>ɑj</td><td>ɑɹ</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td>Non-rho acç</td><td>ɑj</td><td>ɑː</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td>Standard IPA</td><td>aɪ</td><td>ɑː</td><td>æ</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Examples

| diphthong   | long, tense ah | short, relaxed uh |
| ----------- | -------------- | ----------------- |
| kite /kɑjt/ | cart – /kɑːt/  | cut /kʌt/         |

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FIihZMOCsF0TbJdggP8BE%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20A%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=99e41699-278b-44c0-aa2c-0faa6c74c775" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Complex example table

<table><thead><tr><th width="105"></th><th width="104.54547119140625">glide</th><th width="122">rho</th><th width="140">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Standard</td><td>aɪ</td><td>aː, aɹ</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td>CUBE</td><td>ɑj</td><td>ɑː, aɹ</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td>Rhotic</td><td>ɑj</td><td>ɑɹ</td><td>ʌ</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td><em>glide</em></td><td><em>tense, longer</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td><p>kite</p><p>/kʰɑjt/ </p></td><td><p>cart</p><p>/kʰɑːt/ </p></td><td><p>cut</p><p>/kʰʌt/ </p></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

E series: eɪ – eɚ – e

Reanalysis: ɛj – ɛɹ – ɛ

{% hint style="info" %}
This is E like in bed, ten, spell.
{% endhint %}

#### Qualities

1. ɛj  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. ɛɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound
3. ɛ   –  relaxed, short, checked

#### Accent classes

<table><thead><tr><th width="140.6363525390625"></th><th width="86.54547119140625">glide</th><th width="92.727294921875">rho</th><th width="96.27276611328125">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rhotic acç</td><td>ɛj</td><td>ɛɹ, ɛɚ</td><td>ɛ</td></tr><tr><td>Non-rho acç</td><td>ɛj</td><td>ɛə, ɛː</td><td>ɔ</td></tr><tr><td>Standard IPA</td><td>eɪ</td><td>eɚ</td><td>ɒ</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Examples

| diphthong   | long, tense eh | short, relaxed e |
| ----------- | -------------- | ---------------- |
| bait /bɛjt/ | bear /bɛə/     | bed /bɛd/        |

Note that there is a characteristic difference here between the British Englishes and the American Englishes: the diphthong **/ɛə/** is a **closing diphthong in British English**, while it’s an **opening diphthong /eə/ in American English**.

#### Real speech

Many accents simplify the /ɛə/ diphthong into a simple long vowel, /ɛː/ or /eː/. In a Rhotic accent, this may manifest as /ɛ˞ ː/ or /e˞ ː/. This is the same effect as with /ɪə/ becoming long, /ɪː/ (see Diphthongs).

bait /bɛjt/ – bear /bɛː/ – bed /bɛd/

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FNl1rEMTdrxVeDqwSFD2k%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20E%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=21821601-9a2d-40ff-ac4f-eb86b60614e5" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Complex example table

<table><thead><tr><th width="104"></th><th width="97"></th><th width="128.727294921875">glide</th><th width="127">rho</th><th width="151">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>standard</td><td></td><td>ɛɪ</td><td>ɛə/eə, ɛɚ/eɚ</td><td>ɛ</td></tr><tr><td>modern</td><td>stressed</td><td>ɛj</td><td>ɛə, ɛɚ</td><td>ɛ</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>strong</td><td>ɛj</td><td>ɛː, ɛɚ</td><td>ɛ</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>weak</td><td>ej</td><td>eː, eɚ</td><td>e</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td></td><td><em>tense, longer, glide</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, rhotic</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter, checked</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td></td><td><p>they</p><p>/ðɛj/ </p></td><td><p>there</p><p>/ðɛː/ </p></td><td><p>then</p><p>/ðɛn/ </p></td></tr></tbody></table>

The "strong" form is used in important words and stressed words, such as when the point of the word needs to be emphasized in a word that is usually unstressed.

The "weak" form is what emerges in unimportant, common and casual words.

***

## I series: iː – ɪɹ – ɪ

Reanalysis: ɪj – ɪɹ – ɪ&#x20;

{% hint style="info" %}
This is i like in big, trick, spin.
{% endhint %}

#### Qualities

1. ɪj  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. ɪɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound
3. ɪ   –  relaxed, short, checked

#### Accent classes

|              | glide | rho    | checked |
| ------------ | ----- | ------ | ------- |
| Rhotic acç   | ɪj    | ɪɹ, ɪɚ | ɪ       |
| Non-rho acç  | ɪj    | ɪə, ɪː | ɪ       |
| Standard IPA | iː    | ɪɚ     | ɪ       |

#### Examples

| long, tense ee (also a diphthong) | long, tense ih | short, relaxed ih |
| --------------------------------- | -------------- | ----------------- |
| seat /sɪjt/                       | seer /sɪə/     | sit /sɪt/         |

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FigYRTZRYEbsBUyWTVupR%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20i%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=3d02bcdb-4289-431d-b9f5-2e944ed2165c" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Complex example table

<table><thead><tr><th width="104"></th><th width="100.6363525390625"></th><th width="126.9090576171875">glide</th><th width="127">rho</th><th width="151">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>standard</td><td></td><td>iː</td><td>ɪə, ɪɚ</td><td>ɪ</td></tr><tr><td>modern</td><td>stressed</td><td>ɪj</td><td>ɪjə, ɪjɚ</td><td>ɪ</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>strong</td><td>ɪj</td><td>ɪə, ɪɚ</td><td>ɪ</td></tr><tr><td></td><td>weak</td><td>ɪj</td><td>ɪː, ɪ˞ː</td><td>ɪ</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td></td><td><em>tense, longer, glide</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, rhotic</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter, checked</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td></td><td><p>heat</p><p>/hɪjt/ </p></td><td><p>here</p><p>/hɪə/ </p></td><td><p>him</p><p>/hɪm/ </p></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## O series: ɔɪ – ɔɹ – ɒ

Reanalysis: oj – oɹ – ɔ

{% hint style="info" %}
This is O like in top, stop, pond.
{% endhint %}

#### Qualities

1. oj  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. oɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound
3. ɔ   –  relaxed, short, checked

#### Accent classes

<table><thead><tr><th width="137"></th><th width="79.3636474609375">glide</th><th width="79.54547119140625">rho</th><th width="94.8182373046875">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rhotic acç</td><td>oj</td><td>oɹ</td><td>ɔ</td></tr><tr><td>Non-rho acç</td><td>oj</td><td>oː</td><td>ɔ</td></tr><tr><td>Standard IPA</td><td>ɔɪ</td><td>ɔː</td><td>ɒ</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Examples

| diphthong glide | long, tense aw | short, relaxed o |
| --------------- | -------------- | ---------------- |
| boy /boj/       | bought /boːt/  | bottle /ˈbɔt.ɫ̣/ |
| toy /toj/       | taught /toːt/  | top /tɔp/        |

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FEFrqAc3lPRGEa2qU3qUQ%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20O%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=0e502bde-a023-4f8c-8728-e691e0ac9fdf" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Complex example table

<table><thead><tr><th width="108"></th><th width="138.3636474609375">glide</th><th width="128.8182373046875">rho</th><th width="152.9091796875">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>standard</td><td>ɔɪ</td><td>ɔː</td><td>ɒ</td></tr><tr><td>modern</td><td>oj</td><td>oː</td><td>ɔ</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, glide</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, rhotic</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter, checked</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td>boy</td><td>bought</td><td>bottle</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## U series: uː – ʊɹ – ʊ

Reanalysis: ɵʉ – ɵɹ – ɵ

{% hint style="info" %}
This is U like /uː/, /uw/, /ɵʉ/.

The sound of its name, "U" is "you", /juː/.

Ironically, the letter U by itself never makes this sound in English.

The letter U makes /ʊ,ɵ/ and /ʌ/.

Paired with E, it produces its namesake sound, /juː/.

The pure /uː/ sound comes from oo, ou, ough.
{% endhint %}

#### Qualities

1. ɵʉ  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. ɵɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound
3. ɵ   –  relaxed, short, checked

#### Accent classes

<table><thead><tr><th width="143.3636474609375"></th><th width="71.90911865234375">glide</th><th width="93.27276611328125">rho</th><th width="100.3636474609375">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rhotic acç</td><td>ɵʉ</td><td>ɵɹ, ɵɚ</td><td>ɵ</td></tr><tr><td>Non-rho acç</td><td>ɵʉ</td><td>ɵə, ɵː</td><td>ɵ</td></tr><tr><td>Standard IPA</td><td>uː</td><td>ʊɹ, ʊɚ</td><td>ɒ</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Examples

| long, tense oo (also is a diphthong) | long, tense oor | short, relaxed ooh |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------- | ------------------ |
| food /fɵʉd/                          | cure /kjɵː/     | good /gɵd/         |

-ure (etc.) produces /ɵɹ/ in Rhotic accents, and long/tense /ɵː/ in non-Rhotic accents:

* pure, cure, injure, sure, adventure, posture, manicure
* jury, fury, furious, curious

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FRCy6wkC1TsqetskzSXBI%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20U%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=0a8e12fe-c29c-48eb-87cd-af62359e85bf" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### Complex example table

<table><thead><tr><th width="108"></th><th width="138.3636474609375">glide</th><th width="128.8182373046875">rho</th><th width="152.9091796875">checked</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>standard</td><td>uː</td><td>ʊɹ</td><td>ʊ</td></tr><tr><td>modern</td><td>ɵʉ</td><td><p>ɵɹ, ɵɚ</p><p>ɵə, ɵː </p></td><td>ɵ</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, glide</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, rhotic</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter, checked</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td>food</td><td>cure</td><td>good</td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Ə series: aʊ – a – ɜː

Reanalysis: aw – a – ɜː

Here I’ve merged the orphaned sets of a–aw and ɜː–ə.

I’m not sure if it’s valid but it does work spatially on the graph. They could be related also in that stressed ER is /ɜː/, and unstressed ER and unstressed A are both /ə/.&#x20;

* ɜː is a tense, elongated schwa.
* *a* is a tense but short sound, the default value of ⟨a⟩. ⟨a⟩ is the first to become the schwa /ə/ sound.

In Rhotic accents, stressed ER is /ɜ˞ ː/ or /ɚː/, unstressed ER is /ɚ/ and unstressed A is /ə/.

There is some asymmetry compared to the other vowel sets, in that the vowel at the mid-point along the path is long instead of the vowel at the end point… But this may be to distinguish it from the schwa position, as it’s really similar, and is even identical in many accents.

In summary these vowels may not really bear a true relationship. However, all the other vowels are connected via this relationship, and the two sounds that I've put into this set are both orphaned. So it works even just as a way to store them apart from the other vowels.

#### Qualities

1. aw  –  tense, long, glide-bound
2. a   –  relaxed, short, checked
3. ɜɹ  –  rhotic, long, R-bound

#### Accent classes

<table><thead><tr><th width="145.5454559326172"></th><th width="87.54544067382812">glide</th><th width="91.3636474609375">checked</th><th width="77.81816101074219">rho</th><th width="67.0909423828125">schwa</th><th width="85.90911865234375">R schwa</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Rhotic acç</td><td>aʉ</td><td>a</td><td>ɜɹ, ɜ˞</td><td>ə</td><td>ɚ</td></tr><tr><td>Non-rho acç</td><td>aʉ</td><td>a</td><td>ɜː</td><td>ə</td><td>ə</td></tr><tr><td>Standard IPA</td><td>aʊ</td><td>æ</td><td>ɜː, əː</td><td>ə</td><td>ɚ, ə</td></tr></tbody></table>

#### Examples

| diphthong glide | short, wide a | long, tense er      | short, relaxed schwa                                 |
| --------------- | ------------- | ------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| house /haʉs/    | sat /sat/     | certain /ˈsɜː.tʰən/ | <p>a: about /əˈbaʉt/</p><p>er: hunger /ˈhʌŋ.ɡə/ </p> |

<figure><img src="https://3939628267-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FmOXfBzelIQWeGu5lPOdF%2Fuploads%2FdYdRiQwNemCz4AsQVnWD%2FVowel%20tension%20paths%20-%20ER%20series%20-%20PlainSVG.svg?alt=media&#x26;token=b3703dd1-60a4-4162-aa31-b9c48e449c46" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<table data-header-hidden><thead><tr><th width="101"></th><th width="116.81817626953125"></th><th width="145.272705078125"></th><th width="124.81817626953125"></th><th width="175.272705078125"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>standard</td><td>aʊ</td><td>æ</td><td>ɜː</td><td>ə</td></tr><tr><td>modern</td><td>aw</td><td>a</td><td>ɜː</td><td>ə</td></tr><tr><td><em>difference</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, glide</em></td><td><em>relaxed, shorter, checked</em></td><td><em>tense, longer, rhotic</em></td><td><em>it's a schwa, relax</em></td></tr><tr><td>example</td><td><p>house</p><p>/hsaʉs/ </p></td><td><p>sat</p><p>/sat/ </p></td><td><p>certain</p><p>/ˈsɜː.tʰən/ </p></td><td><p>a: about /əˈbaʉt/</p><p>er: hunger /ˈhʌŋ.ɡə/ </p></td></tr></tbody></table>

***

## Reconsideratioin

if /ɛə/ is a diphthong, then it and its simplification /ɛː/ DON’T belong in the E series.

That leaves the E series with only 1 member!

Ok, visit another page to read my third model hypothesis: [vowel-model-v3](https://lang.gitbook.io/pronunciation-mastery/sound-system/vowel-series/vowel-model-v3 "mention")&#x20;

***

## Declension series

The above vowel series theory emerged accidentally during an attempt to develop a model of vowel declension, intended to help English learners understand & predict how vowel sounds change in words depending on word stress in a sentence, syllable stress in a word, syllable position in a word, and base pronunciation value of a word part.

This declension series isn't part of the my Tension Path theories, but it is the origin of them, so I'll link to it here when I've actually come up with the model. As of now (May 2025), there is no model, because these vowel series theories have taken more time & focus than I expected!

I expect these vowel set series to provide the foundation for mapping out the declension series.

***

<details>

<summary>admin</summary>

[source document in google docs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1atSuKSG4cAl6x0JpugImdtxibct3ibYmSMy5KaYWUDs/edit?tab=t.0)

</details>

***
