A review of the existing literature reveals that there are more than six types of systems for transcribing English vowel sounds. Because of this, the phonemic symbols for vowel sounds used in the English-Korean Dictionaries, text-books of English, Pho...
A review of the existing literature reveals that there are more than six types of systems for transcribing English vowel sounds. Because of this, the phonemic symbols for vowel sounds used in the English-Korean Dictionaries, text-books of English, Phonetics and phonology are not only inconsistent but also improper in part. The inter-system variabilities may cause for problems of teaching symbols of English vowel sounds to students learning English as a foreign language, Phonetics, and Phonology. This study was designed to mould a standard model for transcribing English vowel sounds by analyzing or evaluating some systems of English vowel transcription on the basis of criterions, including simplicity, consistence, familiarities, and closeness to real sound of RP and AmEng. A standard model for transcribing English vowel sounds was suggested as follows : beat iː bit I bait ei bet ε bat ae father αː bother □/α bought □ː boat □υ/o put υ boot uː butt Λ bird □ː/□ːr bite ai bout aυ boy □i Diphthongs : bear e□/e□r poor u□/u□r beer i□/i□r Triphthongs : our /aυ□/, fire /ai□/, lower /oυ□/, player /ei□/, royal /□i□/. Where two symbols are shown corresponding to the vowel in a single word, the first is appropriate for most speakers of British English and the second for most speakers of American English.