AMERICAN VOWELS
Vowels are the open sound shapes of American English, produced without obstruction from the tongue or lips.
Often described as carrying much of the emotional and expressive quality of American speech, vowels are also some of the most difficult sounds to organize clearly. Unlike consonants, they can’t be described as fixed points of contact, but only in relation to other sounds.
For that reason, careful listening is essential. Pay close attention to the modeling audio and allow your ear to guide you toward the target sound before attempting to adjust anything in your own speech.
Use the menu on the right side of the screen to navigate to specific vowel sounds
If this is your first time here, please go through the general vowel principles below.
General Vowel Principles
We’ll start by using our first vowel sound to introduce some general vowel principles, and to give you a framework for exploring the rest of these sounds.
First, we’ll work with the close front vowel [i], as in the word fleece.
(Please note: this is not an English letter, but a phonetic symbol. We give these as reference for the sound, but don't expect you to remember them. We’ll talk more about spelling below as we work through each individual vowel sound. For further reading on this topic, see the work of John C. Wells on lexical sets.)
The [i] vowel is produced with the front of the tongue close to the roof of the mouth, and the lips unrounded. Listen to the audio and try speaking aloud to match the sound.
Really hold the sound out and lengthen it—almost as if you’re singing. Once you think you have it, begin to notice where the tongue is placed as you sustain the vowel. Try to imagine the space and shape inside your mouth. Building awareness of this physical posture is key, because recreating sound consistently depends on remembering how it feels, not just how it sounds.
For the next part, you may want to be alone in the room—or at least around people who won’t judge you too harshly—because we’re about to make some very silly noises.
Now make that sound again, and this time gently move the tongue around as you hold the vowel. First try small movements, then larger ones. Pay close attention to what the tongue is doing inside the mouth. Try this exploration first, then listen to what happened when I did it:
You’ll probably notice that horizontal, side-to-side movement of the tongue—even fairly large movement—may slightly change the quality of the sound, but the vowel itself doesn’t shift very much.
However, you’ll likely find that even very small vertical, up-and-down movements of the tongue create a noticeable change in the sound. For example, here’s what happened when I moved only the front of my tongue from high to low in the mouth:
The front of the tongue is usually the easiest part to move, because it has a wider range of motion. The middle and back of the tongue can be harder to sense, since their positions are more relative. The following exploration can help you start to feel that difference.
Try anchoring the tip of your tongue to the roof of your mouth, just behind the top teeth. Keeping the front of the tongue in place, experiment with moving the middle and back of the tongue up and down. Some people think of this as “cupping” or “arching” the back of the tongue—almost as if there’s a small ball or grape resting there that you’re gently lifting and lowering. Give it a try. My exploration sounded like this:
For added clarity, you can hold your chin lightly in place with your hands while you explore these sound changes. Make sure you’re holding the jaw open, not closed. Try moving only the front of the tongue, and then only the back. You’ll likely discover that vowel shaping is largely driven by the tongue. The jaw can help, but it isn’t the primary driver—so no need to walk around holding it open.
The major exception here is the lips. Hold the original vowel sound with your lips relaxed, then round them. You might think of this as pursing or “trumpeting” the lips. Hold the sound (keeping the tongue frozen in place!) and move back and forth between rounded and unrounded lips. Here’s what that exploration sounded like for me:
When we describe a vowel as rounded or unrounded, this is exactly what we mean. You can hear how dramatically the sound changes.
Congratulations—you’ve just identified the two primary tools we use to shape vowels: the tongue and the lips.
And with that, we’re finished with the silly sounds—at least for now.
Hopefully, this gives you a clearer sense of what is meant by a close front vowel (the tongue is close to the roof of the mouth, with its highest point toward the front), or an open back vowel (the tongue is far from the roof of the mouth, with its highest point toward the back).
At the very least, this work should begin to build awareness of the tongue—an awareness that will be essential for producing consistent, on-target vowels in General American speech.
Below, you'll find all the vowel sounds of American English. You can also use the menu on the right side of the screen to navigate to individual vowel sounds.
(Unfortunately, this feature is not available on mobile devices at this time)
Single-Stage Vowels (Monophthongs)
Monophthongs are steady vowel sounds shaped by a consistent oral posture.
Each vowel is defined by tongue placement, open space, and lip posture, which remain stable throughout the sound. Focus on hearing the vowel clearly and allowing your ear to guide your production.
FLEECE - [i]
If you worked through the general vowel principles, then you've already gone over this vowel sound. This is our close, front, and unrounded vowel.
Repeat several times, until you can clearly imagine the physical space inside your mouth. Play the audio more than once, and speak along if that feels helpful. When you’re ready, move on to the sample words below.
Beat, meet, suite, key, belief, police, conceit, athlete, phoenix
Notice the wide variety of spellings represented here. English spelling is highly inconsistent, so pronunciation cannot be reliably predicted from letters alone. While these spellings often use this vowel, they are not rules—only patterns you’ll learn to recognize through listening.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
It's sweet of you to greet me at the door.
I'll treat you to some ice cream next time we meet.
With heated seats, life is complete in Minneapolis.
KIT - [ɪ]
This is a fairly close, fairly open, unrounded vowel. It can be challenging for many speakers, as it does not appear clearly in a number of other languages and is often confused with nearby vowel sounds.
Repeat several times, allowing the sound to stay relaxed and contained. Notice the tongue position and the relatively small amount of jaw space. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Kit, split, admit, outfit, gym, system, build, pretty, women
Notice again the range of spellings that produce this vowel. As with other vowels, spelling alone is not a reliable guide. Focus instead on the sound itself and how it feels to produce.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The kit didn't fit in his gym bag.
She missed the quick shift in the system.
This list is still missing a few items.
DRESS - [ɛ]
This vowel is close-mid (more open than [ɪ]), front, and unrounded. For many speakers, this vowel tends to drift upward or become tense, which can affect clarity.
As before, repeat several times until you can sense the physical shape of the vowel. Let the jaw release enough to allow space, without forcing openness. When you’re ready, move on to the sample words below.
Bed, head, said, friend, many, any, guest, leopard
Notice the range of spellings that produce this vowel. As with other vowels, spelling is not a reliable guide — the sound is determined by oral posture, not by the letters on the page.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The guest said he felt ready to rest.
She sent many emails before the deadline.
The weather in Denver isn't pleasant, but dreadful!
TRAP - [æ]
This vowel is fairly open, front, and unrounded. For many speakers, this vowel tends to lift toward [ɛ] or retract, especially in faster speech. This is certainly within the bounds of General American speech, and has no effect on clarity or intelligibility. But what you’ll hear below is the pure, target sound.
Repeat several times, allowing the jaw to release downward while the tongue stays forward. Avoid spreading or tightening the lips. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Cat, back, have, laugh, plaque, attack
Notice the spelling variety here as well. While <a> is the most common spelling for this vowel, pronunciation still depends on vowel shape and context rather than letters alone.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The cat was too fast for the rat.
She has a head too fat for the hat.
That class starts after lunch.
LOT - [ɑ]
This vowel is open, back, and unrounded—reaching the widest, most open position in the vowel space. It’s similar to the sound you might make at the doctor’s office when a tongue depressor is used during an exam.
Repeat several times, allowing the jaw to drop without tension and the tongue to rest back and low. Avoid rounding the lips. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Father, lot, not, job, calm, problem, model, honor, college
Notice that this vowel appears with several different spellings. As always, spelling does not determine the sound — the vowel is shaped by tongue position and jaw space, not letters.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The doctor asked about his father's job.
She stopped at the office to speak with her boss.
The model launched a popular product last August.
THOUGHT - [ɔ]
This vowel is open-mid, back, and lip-rounded. It is slightly more close than [ɑ]
This sound is given for reference since you will hear it in some American speech. However, roughly half of Americans merge the two sounds of THOUGHT and LOT. Therefore, we will also merge these for our model of General American speech. If you are interested in learning more, it is called the cot/caught merger.
FOOT - [ʊ]
This vowel is fairly close, fairly back, and lip-rounded. It requires less jaw space than [ɔ] and [ɑ], with gentle lip rounding and a relaxed tongue.
Repeat several times, allowing the lips to round lightly and the tongue to stay relatively high. Avoid spreading the lips or adding extra tension. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Book, look, good, push, wolf, butcher, cook
Notice that this vowel often appears with <oo>, but not always. As with all vowels, spelling does not guarantee pronunciation — rely on sound and oral posture rather than letters.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
She put the book back.
The pudding you cooked is quite good.
This wool couldn't have come from a wolf.
GOOSE - [u]
This vowel is close, back, and lip-rounded. It requires a high tongue position and clear but relaxed lip rounding.
Repeat several times, allowing the tongue to lift while the jaw stays relatively closed. The lips round naturally. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Goose, food, move, blue, group, through, rule, true, student
Notice the spelling variety again. While <oo>, <u>, and <ou> commonly represent this vowel, pronunciation depends on sound organization rather than letters.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
Few knew to use the spoon.
The pupil needed to prove he could groove.
The toothless ghoul rose from the tomb.
STRUT - [ʌ]
This vowel is open-mid, back, and unrounded. It requires a relaxed jaw and a neutral tongue position.
Repeat several times, letting the jaw release naturally and the tongue rest centrally. Avoid rounding the lips or spreading them. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Cut, luck, money, son, mother, onion, blood, double
Notice that this vowel appears with many different spellings, especially <u>, <o>, and <ou>. As always, spelling is not a reliable guide.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
Don't touch the money in the trunk.
She won't budge on her love for butter.
You mustn't judge before running the numbers.
The Schwa - [ə]
This is the most common vowel in American English. It is mid-central and unrounded. Often described as totally relaxed and the most neutral sound–but keep in mind that it may not be your neutral sound.
Repeat several times, allowing everything to soften. Try to see if this feels like “neutral” to you, with the tongue relaxed–or if you need to make an adjustment based on your native accent and vocal habits. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below. Notice that this sound often takes an unstressed position.
About, support, problem, taken, pencil, lesson, family, possible, system
Notice how spelling becomes especially unreliable here. Many different letters can represent schwa, and the same word may contain both stressed vowels and schwa. The key feature is reduced stress and ease. You'll also notice something in the sentences below called neutralization or reduction, where the schwa takes over the sound in words that might not normally use that sound. We can touch more on that later.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The problem was solved without much discussion.
She took a moment to consider the proposal.
This system supports a variety of users.
NURSE - [ɝ]
This vowel is open-mid, central, and unrounded. Unlike other vowels, its quality is shaped largely by the r-coloring, not by tongue height alone. The tongue draws slightly back and up, the sides engage gently, and the lips remain neutral.
Repeat several times, allowing the tongue to find the r-shape without too much tension. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Nurse, work, learn, first, person, service, purpose, early, thirty
Notice that this vowel appears with many different spellings, often involving <er>, <ir>, or <ur>. As with other vowels, spelling does not determine the sound — the r-coloring is the defining feature.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The nurse works early on Thursdays.
The colonel said even the worst aren't worth murder.
He burnt his shirt before the rehearsal adjourned.
Two-Stage Vowels (Diphthongs)
Two-stage vowels, or diphthongs, consist of two vowel elements that glide into one another and are perceived as a single sound. The balance between these elements varies by vowel—sometimes the first is more prominent, sometimes the second.
The best way to understand this balance is through listening. Pay close attention to the modeling audio at natural speed and speak along to discover what feels appropriate and sustainable in your own speech.
FACE - [eɪ]
This is a closing diphthong that begins with a mid-front vowel and glides upward toward a higher, closer position.
Repeat several times, noticing the gentle upward movement of the tongue and jaw. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Face, day, make, say, wait, eight, they, break
Notice the wide range of spellings that produce this diphthong, including <a_e>, <ay>, <ai>, <ei>, and <ey>. As with all vowels, spelling does not determine pronunciation — the sound is defined by movement and shape.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
They made a clear case for the change.
She waited eight days before they replied.
This update may change the pace of the project.
PRICE - [aɪ]
This is a closing diphthong that begins with an open, central-to-front vowel and glides upward toward a higher, front position.
Repeat several times, allowing the jaw to start open and gradually close as the tongue moves forward and up. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Price, time, line, my, try, night, guide, client, quiet
Notice the spelling variety here as well, including <i_e>, <y>, <igh>, <ie>, and <ui>. As always, spelling does not determine the sound — focus on the glide rather than the letters.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
The price might rise by Friday night.
She tried to find the right time to reply.
My client signed the final agreement.
CHOICE - [ɔɪ]
This is a closing diphthong that begins with a back, rounded vowel and glides forward and upward to a higher, unrounded position. The movement involves both a change in tongue position and a release of lip rounding.
Repeat several times, allowing the lips to begin rounded and then gradually relax as the tongue moves forward. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Choice, voice, point, noise, join, boy, employ, avoid
Notice the common spellings <oi> and <oy>. As with other diphthongs, the sound is defined by movement rather than by spelling, so focus on the rounded start and forward glide.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
Joyce made a clear choice to join the project.
The boy's voice carried over the noise in the room.
He toiled away for a few coins to buy ointment.
MOUTH - [aʊ]
This is a closing diphthong that begins with an open, central vowel and glides toward a higher, rounded position. The movement involves both jaw closure and the introduction of lip rounding.
Repeat several times, allowing the jaw to begin open and then close gradually as the lips round toward the end of the vowel. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Mouth, now, out, down, house, sound, about, account
Notice the frequent spellings <ou> and <ow>. As with all diphthongs, spelling does not determine pronunciation — focus on the full movement from open to rounded.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
She found out about the announcement this morning.
The house was quiet after the crowd left town.
They spoke out loud about the new account.
GOAT - [oʊ]
In General American speech, this vowel is a closing diphthong that begins with a mid-back, lightly rounded vowel and glides upward toward a closer, more rounded position. The movement is usually smaller and more contained than other diphthongs.
Repeat several times, allowing the tongue to lift slightly and the lips to round gently as the vowel closes. When you are ready, move on to the sample words below.
Goat, note, home, road, open, over, phone, approach, window
Notice the common spellings <o_e>, <oa>, <ow>, and <oe>. As with all vowels, spelling does not determine pronunciation — focus instead on the subtle closing movement and lip rounding.
Now here are some targeted sample sentences:
She wrote a note and drove home.
They approached the road slowly.
Joan gave the oaf the cold shoulder.