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The most accurate pronunciation of 12 English monophthongs

Monophthongs are an important part of English knowledge. In the article below, PREP will provide you with the concept, pronunciation of English monophthongs, and the distinction between short and long monophthongs.

The most accurate pronunciation of 12 English monophthongs
The most accurate pronunciation of 12 English monophthongs

I. What are English monophthongs?

Let's learn the definition and identifying features of English monophthongs with PREP!

1. Definition

A monophthong (/ˈmɑː.nəf.θɑːŋ/) is a vowel sound in which the tongue and other articulating organs do not move during the production of the sound. A syllable consists of only one single vowel, unlike diphthongs - a combination of two adjacent vowels in the same syllable.

2. Identifying features of English monophthongs

The identifying features of English monophthongs include:

  • Monophthongs can appear in any position within a word. However, they often appear in the middle of a word. For example:

    • Meet /miːt/ ➞ Monophthong: /iː/

    • Cat /kæt/ ➞ Monophthong: /æ/

  • You can find monophthongs at the beginning and end of a word. For example:

    • After has the monophthong /a/ at the beginning of the word.

    • Lazy has the monophthong /y/ at the end of the word.

  • Monophthongs are also classified into short and long monophthongs. To understand this concept better, please continue reading the article.

What are English monophthongs?
What are English monophthongs?

II. How to pronounce monophthongs

Below, PREP will guide you on how to pronounce 12 monophthongs with examples. Let’s take a look at the English monophthong list below!

1. Short vowels

Short vowels
Short vowels

Short vowels

Ways to pronounce

Example

/i/

To pronounce the vowel sound /i/, stick your tongue out slightly and bring it close to the roof of your mouth, pull the corners of your mouth out to the sides so the space between the upper and lower lips is narrow.

  • Sit /sɪt/ 

  • Hit /hɪt/

/e/ 

When pronouncing the vowel sound /e/, stick your tongue out, lower your tongue, open your mouth moderately. 

  • Pen /pen/ 

  • Man /men/ 

/æ/

To pronounce the vowel sound /æ/, lower your tongue, open your mouth wide, and move your lower jaw down.

  • Band /bænd/ 

  • Cat /kæt/

/ʊ/

For the vowel sound /ʊ/, bring your tongue forward, round your lips, and pronounce it quickly.

  • Good /gʊd/ 

  • Foot /fʊt/ 

/ʌ/

To pronounce /ʌ/, bring your tongue back and press it down, open your mouth moderately.

  • Cut /kʌt/

  • But /bʌt/

/ɒ/

For /ɒ/, curl your tongue back, round your lips, and open your mouth wide. 

  • Pot /pɒt/ 

  • Hot /hɒt/ 

/ə/

To pronounce /ə/, relax your mouth and tongue, and let the /ə/ sound naturally come out from your throat.

  • Around /əˈraʊnd/

  • About /əˈbaʊt/

In addition, you can refer to the pronunciation of the 7 short vowels in the video below:

MASTER English Pronunciation | The 7 Short Vowel Sounds | Sound Like a Native Speaker!

2. Long vowels

Long vowels
Long vowels

Long vowels

Ways to pronounce

Example

/i:/

To pronounce /i:/, stick your tongue out and bring it close to the roof of your mouth, pull the corners of your mouth out flat like a smile, and pronounce the /i:/ sound with a longer stream of air.

  • Seal /si:l/

  • Leap /liːp/

/u:/

For /u:/, slightly raise your tongue, round your lips, and pronounce it similar to /ʊ/ but with a longer, drawn-out sound.

  • Mood /muːd/

  • Cool /kuːl/

/a:/

To say /ɑ:/, open your mouth wide, press your tongue down low, lower your pitch. 

  • Hard /hɑːd/

  • Calm /kɑːm/

/ɔ:/

For /ɔ:/, curl your tongue back, round your lips, and open your mouth wide, pronouncing it similar to /ɒ/ but with a longer, drawn-out sound.

  • Sort /sɔːt/

  • All/ɔːl/

/ɜ:/

To say /ɜ:/, raise your tongue up close to the roof of your mouth, keep your lips slightly open and relaxed, and pronounce it similar to /ʌ/ but longer.

  • First /fɜːst/

  • Turn /tɜːn/

You can also refer to the video below to learn the pronunciation of the 5 long vowels:

MASTER English Pronunciation | The 5 LONG Vowel Sounds | Sound Like a Native Speaker!

III. Effective method for learning English monophthongs

When learning to pronounce English monophthongs accurately, there are several important considerations:

  • Learn with IPA: Learn and use the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to understand and distinguish between monophthongs. IPA provides precise symbols to describe the sound of each vowel.

  • Pay attention to height and roundedness: Monophthongs vary in height (high, mid, low) and roundedness (rounded, unrounded). Try to recognize and recreate these differences in your pronunciation.

  • Differentiate between short and long: In English, some monophthongs can be pronounced either short or long, and this difference can change the meaning of a word. Listen carefully to identify and practice both types of pronunciations.

  • Practice listening and speaking regularly: Try to find English audio/video guides on pronouncing monophthongs and repeat after the instructions until you master them.

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IV. Differences between short vowels and long vowels

Differences between short vowels and long vowels
Differences between short vowels and long vowels

The main differences between short vowels and long vowels in English are:

 

Short vowels

Long vowels

Characteristic

Short vowels have a shorter duration, are pronounced more quickly, and the tongue is more relaxed.

Long vowels have a longer duration, are drawn out longer, the mouth is usually more tense, and the tongue is raised higher.

Example

  • /æ/ in "cat"

  • /ɪ/ in "sit"

  • /ɔː/ in "law"

  • /ɜː/ in “turn”

V. Exercises for practicing monophthongs

To become fluent in pronouncing monophthongs (single vowels) in English, let's explore the following with PREP!

Exercise: Choose the answer that has a different pronunciation than the other words.

1.

A - stood

B - choose

C - look

D - took

2.

A - heavy

B - head

C - weather

D - easy

3.

A - eliminate

B - expedition

C - separate

D - preparation

4.

A - canoeing

B - career

C - canal

D - caring

5.

A - command

B - compose

C - complain

D - comment

6.

A - toll

B - cholera

C - moth

D - proper

7.

A - butter

B - put

C - sugar

D - push

8.

A - flood

B - good

C - foot

D - look

9.

A - art

B - paper

C - late

D - lazy

10.

A - pretty

B - get

C - send

D - well

Answers:

1 - B

6 - A

2 - D

7 - A

3 - A

8 - A

4 - D

9 - A

5 - D

10 - A

The above has introduced the definitions, correct pronunciations, and practice exercises for English monophthongs. Let’s follow PREP regularly to stay updated on lots of useful knowledge!

Master Tu Pham
Master Tu Pham
Founder/CEO at Prep
Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.
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