Ask a Teacher

Search



Why are the vowels so called?
There are 26 letters in the English alphabet but they stand for at least 44 sounds of real English. In fact there are two English languages - the Written English and the Spoken or Phonetic English. But if you really want to communicate, which means speak, understand, read and write English, you have to deal with both of them. Therefore, you must understand that:
Spoken or Phonetic English comprises of 12 pure vowel sounds,8 diphthongs, 24 consonant sounds, whereas Written English 5 vowels, 21 consonants.

The 26 letters of the English alphabet are pronounced with their corresponding phonic sound. Hence, vowels and consonants can be defined by the way the sounds are produced.

Consonants are made by a definite interference with the air stream by the vocal organs. Because of this, they are easier to describe than vowels.

Vowels are made without any obstruction of the air stream. The air flows relatively unimpeded through the mouth or the nose. Differences in vowel sounds are made by different positions of the tongue and the lips.


comments powered by Disqus