Comparison Vowels

Question 1

ENGLISH

1. Difference between half-close and half-open.

Answer 1

SPANISH

1. NO difference between half-close and half-open.

Question 2

ENGLISH

2. Twelve vowels:
   - 7 short: /ɪ, e, ə, ɒ, ʊ, ʌ, æ/
   - 5 long: /iː, uː, aː, ɔː, ɜː/

Answer 2

SPANISH

2. Five vowels:
   - All short
   /a, e, i, o, u/

Question 3

ENGLISH

3. Diphthongs are all gliding sounds.

Answer 3

SPANISH

3. Diphthongs are a combination of vowels pronounced in the same syllable.

Question 4

ENGLISH

4. Eight diphthongs:
   - 5 closing /eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ, aʊ, əʊ/.
   Tongue raising as in day, might, boy, down and coat.
   - 3 centring /ɪə, eə, ʊə/
   Tongue front or back and ends central as in dear, bear and poor.

Answer 4

SPANISH - 4. Fourteen diphthongs

• 6 “crecientes” /ai, ei, oi, au, eu, ou/
  2nd nucleous, lesser to greater opening; amáis, aceite, zoilo, aula, feudo and raudo.
• 6 “decrecientes” /ia, ie, io, ua, ue, uo/
  1st nucleous, greater to lesser opening; lidiar, lidié, lidió, aguar, agüé and aguó.
• 2 not classified /iu, ui/
  No clear nucleous, either. No opening/closing; fluido and triunfo.

Question 5

ENGLISH

5. Triphthongs in slow speech /ə/ after closing diphthongs /eɪə, aɪə, ɔɪə, aʊə, əʊə/

as in greyer, fire, employer, tower and slower.

Answer 5

SPANISH

5. No triphthongs.

Question 6

ENGLISH

6. Tendency to separate vowel sounds which belong to different words.
   eg. Liking “r”: He was a singer and…
   Obtrusive “r” in RP: The idea(r) of…

Answer 6

SPANISH

6. No tendency.

Question 7

ENGLISH

7. Not common in English since there is a tendency to avoid them.

Answer 7

SPANISH

7. More vowel presence ->
   - Hiatos: púa, cruel, ilíaco.
   RAE: combination of vowels which belong to different syllables.
   - Sinalefas: se fueron auropa (a Europa).
   RAE: liking of syllables by means of which another one is formed from the last vowel of a word and the first of the following one.