Vowel sounds [u:] [ɔi]

[u:] and [ ɔi ]

By Elvira Vedmakova & Marina Lukianova

Characteristics of [u:]

According to:

the stability of articulation – diphthongoid

the position of the tongue – back

the lip position – rounded

the length – long

the vertical movement of the tongue – close narrow

the tenseness – tense

Occurence

Sound [u:] can be represented by 7 different spelling patterns:

«u» – music

«u_e» – mule

«ue» – rescue

«eu» – feud

«ew» – few

«oo» – food

«ou» – soup

Articulation

When pronouncing [u:] the tongue is pulled back. The back of the tongue rises very high to the soft palate. By the end of the sound [u:] the tongue occupies an even more backward and higher position. Significantly rounded lips at the beginning of the utterance [u:] are even more rounded towards the end of it. The distance between the jaws is small.

Comparison with Russian [у]

Russian sound [у] is more prolonged than the sound [u:].

Tongue twisters

He too, took two looks.

[hi tuː ,  tʊk tuː lʊks]

The bloody boots were looted.

[ðə ˈblʌdi buːts wə ˈluːtɪd]

The football hooligans looked gloomy. 

[ðə ˈfʊtbɔːl ˈhuːlɪgənz lʊkt ˈgluːmi]

Poem by Rudyard Kipling

The Camel’s hump is an ugly lump

Which well you may see at the Zoo;

But uglier yet is the hump we get

From having too little to do.

Kiddies and grown-ups too-oo-oo,

If we haven’t enough to do-oo-oo,

We get the hump —

Cameelious hump —

The hump that is black and blue!

I get it as well as you-oo-oo-

If I haven’t enough to do-oo-oo!

We all get hump —

Cameelious hump —

Kiddies and grown-ups too!

[ðə ˈkæməlz hʌmp s ən ˈʌgli lʌmp

wɪʧ wɛl jʊ meɪ siː ət ðə zuː ;

bət ˈʌglɪə jɛt s ðə hʌmp wi gɛt

Frəm ˈhævɪŋ tuː ˈlɪtl tə duː .

ˈkɪdiz ənd ˈgrəʊnʌps tuː ,

ɪf wi hævnt ɪˈnʌf tə duː ,

Wi gɛt ðə hʌmp  —

kæˈmiːliəs hʌmp  —

ðə hʌmp ðət s blæk ənd bluː !

aɪ gɛt ɪt əz wɛl əz juː

ɪf aɪ hævnt ɪˈnʌf tə duː !

Wi ɔːl gɛt hʌmp  —

kæˈmiːliəs hʌmp  —

ˈkɪdiz ənd ˈgrəʊnʌps tuː !]

Idiomatic expressions

• a fool and his money are soon parted (when people spend money without thinking about it enough)

[ə fuːl ənd ɪz ˈmʌni ə suːn ˈpɑːtɪd]

2. a roof over your head (a place to live)

[ə ruːf ˈəʊvə jə hɛd]

3. as bald as a cue ball (about a person who is completely bald )

[əz bɔːld əz ə kjuː bɔːl]

Academic text

[ˈmjuːzɪk s ði ɑːt əv əˈreɪnʤɪŋ saʊndz ɪn taɪm θruː ði ˈɛlɪmənts əv ˈmɛlədi, ˈhɑːməni, ˈrɪðəm, ənd ˈtæmbə. ɪt s wʌn əv ðə ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəl ˈkʌlʧərəl ˈæspɛkts əv ɔːl ˈhjuːmən səˈsaɪətiz. ˈʤɛnərəl ˌdɛfɪˈnɪʃənz əv ˈmjuːzɪk ɪnˈkluːd ˈkɒmən ˈɛlɪmənts sʌʧ əz pɪʧ, ˈrɪðəm, daɪˈnæmɪks, ənd ðə ˈsɒnɪk ˈkwɒlɪtiz əv ˈtæmbər ənd ˈtɛksʧə. ˈdɪfrənt staɪlz ɔː taɪps əv ˈmjuːzɪk meɪ ˈɛmfəsaɪz, diː-ˈɛmfəsaɪz ɔːr əˈmɪt səm əv ðiːz ˈɛlɪmənts. ˈmjuːzɪk s pəˈfɔːmd wɪð ə vɑːst reɪnʤ əv ˈɪnstrʊmənts ənd ˈvəʊkəl tɛkˈniːks ˈreɪnʤɪŋ frəm ˈsɪŋɪŋ tə ˈræpɪŋ. ðə wɜːd dɪˈraɪvz frəm griːk  μουσική ( mousiké ) , “ɑːt əv ðə ˈmjuːzɪz”.]

Music is the art of arranging sounds in time through the elements of melody, harmony, rhythm, and timbre. It is one of the universal cultural aspects of all human societies. General definitions of music include common elements such as pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture. Different styles or types of music may emphasise, de-emphasise or omit some of these elements. Music is performed with a vast range of instruments and vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping. The word derives from Greek μουσική (mousiké), “art of the Muses”.

Characteristics of [ɔi]

• is a diphthong that consists of 2 vowels: ɔ and i​
• Characteristics:​
• [ɔ] - monophthong, back, open (broad), short, rounded, lax
• [i] - monophthong, front-retracted, close (broad), short, unrounded, lax​

Occurence

• Combination of letters oi :

n oi se, c oi n, p oi son

• Combination of letters oy :

b oy , t oy , enj oy

Articulation

• When pronouncing the first element, the nucleus, lower the jaw low, rest the tip of the tongue on the lower teeth, and slightly round the lips.
• Gliding goes in the direction of the sound [i].

Comparison with Russian

• It looks like the Russian "oy", in which the "y" sounds more distinct.
• When pronouncing the second element, one should not raise the middle back of the tongue too high so that the Russian sound "y" is not heard.

Tongue twisters

• 1. Annoying soil spoils and destroys.

əˈnɔɪɪŋ sɔɪl spɔːɪlz ænd dɪsˈtrɔɪz

2. What noise annoys an oyster most?

wɒt nɔɪz əˈnɔɪz ən ˈɔɪstə məʊst ?

3. A noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster most!

ə nɔɪz əˈnɔɪz ən ˈɔɪstə ,  bʌt ə ˈnɔɪzi nɔɪz əˈnɔɪz ən ˈɔɪstə məʊst !

Poem

Stop that racket

And wipe that oil!

Stop that noise!

Time to pick up

All these toys!

Pick up paper

Mom is angry

And bits of foil,

Tempers boil,

Time to hurry,

Time to toil!

She is wound up

Like a coil!

When we’ve finished

We rejoice.

Pick up toys,

Sweep the soil,

Mom has found

Her quiet voice!

Get those coins

stɒp ðæt ˈrækɪt   stɒp ðæt nɔɪz ! taɪm tuː pɪk ʌp   ɔːl ðiːz tɔɪz ! mɒm ɪz ˈæŋgri   ˈtɛmpəz bɔɪl , ʃiː ɪz wuːnd ʌp   laɪk ə kɔɪl ! pɪk ʌp tɔɪz , swiːp ðə sɔɪl , gɛt ðəʊz kɔɪnz   ænd waɪp ðæt ɔɪl ! pɪk ʌp ˈpeɪpə   ænd bɪts ɒv fɔɪl , taɪm tuː ˈhʌri , taɪm tuː tɔɪl ! wɛn wiːv ˈfɪnɪʃt   wiː rɪˈʤɔɪs . mɒm hæz faʊnd   hɜː ˈkwaɪət vɔɪs !

Idiomatic expressions

• 1. Point of view. (An opinion on something)
• pɔɪnt ɒv vjuː
• 2. Pour oil on troubled waters (try to make people feel better and become friendly again after an argument)
• pɔːr ɔɪl ɒn ˈtrʌbld ˈwɔːtəz 
• 3. Beside yourself with joy (To be extremely happy.)
• bɪˈsaɪd jɔːˈsɛlf wɪð ʤɔɪ 

Academic text

nɔɪz ɪz ʌnˈwɒntɪd saʊnd kənˈsɪdəd ʌnˈplɛznt ,  laʊd ɔː dɪsˈrʌptɪv tuː ˈhɪərɪŋ .  frɒm ə ˈfɪzɪks ˈstændpɔɪnt ,  ðeər ɪz nəʊ dɪsˈtɪŋkʃən bɪˈtwiːn nɔɪz ænd dɪˈzaɪəd saʊnd ,  æz bəʊθ ɑː vaɪˈbreɪʃənz θruː ə ˈmiːdiəm ,  sʌʧ æz eər ɔː ˈwɔːtə . ˈnɔːməl ˈspiːkɪŋ ˈvɔɪsɪz ɑːr əˈraʊnd  65  dBA .  ə rɒk ˈkɒnsə(ː)t kæn biː əˈbaʊt  120  dBA . ɪnˌvaɪərənˈmɛntl nɔɪz ɪz ði əˌkjuːmjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n ɒv ɔːl nɔɪz ˈprɛznt ɪn ə ˈspɛsɪfaɪd ɪnˈvaɪərənmənt .  ðə ˈprɪnsəpəl ˈsɔːsɪz ɒv ɪnˌvaɪərənˈmɛntl nɔɪz ɑː ˈsɜːfɪs ˈməʊtə ˈviːɪklz ,  ˈeəkrɑːft ,  treɪnz ænd ɪnˈdʌstrɪəl ˈsɔːsɪz . ðiːz nɔɪz ˈsɔːsɪz ɪksˈpəʊz ˈmɪljənz ɒv ˈpiːpl tuː nɔɪz pəˈluːʃən ðæt kri(ː)ˈeɪts nɒt ˈəʊnli əˈnɔɪəns ,  bʌt ˈɔːlsəʊ sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt hɛlθ ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz sʌʧ æz ˈɛlɪveɪtɪd ˈɪnsɪdəns ɒv ˈhɪərɪŋ lɒs ,  ˌkɑːdɪəʊˈvæskjʊlə dɪˈziːz ,  ænd ˈmɛni ˈʌðəz .

N oi se is unwanted sound considered unpleasant, loud or disruptive to hearing. From a physics standp oi nt, there is no distinction between n oi se and desired sound, as both are vibrations through a medium, such as air or water.

Normal speaking v oi ces are around 65 dBA. A rock concert can be about 120 dBA.

Environmental noise is the accumulation of all n oi se present in a specified environment. The principal sources of environmental n oi se are surface motor vehicles, aircraft, trains and industrial sources.

These n oi se sources expose millions of people to n oi se pollution that creates not only ann oy ance, but also significant health consequences such as elevated incidence of hearing loss, cardiovascular disease, and many others.

Thank you for your attention!