Everything about Mid Vowel totally explained
A
mid vowel is a
vowel sound used in some spoken
languages. The defining characteristic of a mid vowel is that the tongue is positioned mid-way between an
open vowel and a
close vowel. The only mid vowel with a dedicated symbol in the
International Phonetic Alphabet is the
mid central vowel [ə], a symbol which is also used for the vowel
schwa.
The IPA divides the vowel space into thirds, with the
close-mid vowels such as [e] or [o] and the
open-mid vowels such as [ɛ] or [ɔ] equidistant in
formant space between open [a] and close [i] or [u]. Thus a true mid front vowel could be transcribed as either a lowered [e̞] or a raised [ɛ̝].
Few languages contrast all three heights of mid vowel, since it's rare for a language to distinguish more than four heights of true front or back vowels. One, the
Amstetten dialect of
Bavarian German, contrasts four heights of front unrounded, front rounded, and back vowels in addition to having an open central vowel. These have been transcribed with the available IPA symbols /i e ɛ æ/, /y ø œ ɶ/, /u o ɔ ɑ/, and /a/.
| |
Amstetten Bavarian
(transcription) |
| Close |
i |
y |
u |
| Close-mid |
e |
ø |
o |
| Open-mid |
ɛ |
œ |
ɔ |
| Near open |
æ |
ɶ̝ |
ɑ̝ |
| Open |
|
a |
|
However, the vowels transcribed /æ ɶ ɑ/ are one-third the distance between open /a/ and close /i y u/, precisely the IPA definition of open-mid vowels [ɛœ ɔ]. Thus Amstetten Bavarian may be an example of a language that contrasts mid vowels with both open-mid and close-mid vowels.
| |
Amstetten Bavarian
(formant space) |
| Close |
i |
y |
u |
| Close-mid |
e |
ø |
o |
| Mid |
e̞ |
ø̞ |
o̞ |
| Open-mid |
ɛ |
œ |
ɔ |
| Open |
|
a |
|
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mid Vowel'.
|
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