Vowels
A wowel is a sound in which there is a continuous vibration of the vocal folds and the airstream is allowed to escape from the mouth in an unobstructed manner, without any interruption.
In Spanish, we have five letters corresponding to vowel sounds: /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. English language has the same letters, but there are 12 different vowel sounds also called monophthongs, 8 diphthongs (combination of two different vowel sounds) and 5 triphthongs (combination of 3 vowel sounds).
Vowel sounds can be distinguished from each other by which part of the tongue is involved (front, central, back) and by how high the tongue is when the sound is produced (high, mid, low).
To represent vowel sounds we use special symbols known as the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
Here, you can see the 20 symbols for vowel phonemes, which includes diphtongs:
In the following image you can see the vowel quadrilateral for English. The quadrilateral is meant to represent the position of the tongue for the pronunciation of the so called cardinal vowels.
The Latin alphabet is used in both English and Spanish language, but Spanish has three more letters.
In English, there are 12 vowel sounds, while in Spanish there are only five. Vowel sounds represent the most challenging differences between Spanish and English for students. Also, several consonant combinations, such as "sh" and "th", do not typically occur in Spanish.
The Alphabet
Consonants
Consonant sounds are produced when two articulators come together, so the airstream is obstructed and can not get out freely. They are divided into three criteria:
- Manner of articulation
- Place of articulation
- Voice
In the following link you can find a detailed division of the Consonants in English: