Introduction

In spoken English, we use sounds to make words. The letters we write are different from the sounds we produce. While the English alphabet has 26 letters, spoken English is made up of 44 speech sounds.

These 44 speech sounds are divided into two main categories:

  1. Vowel Sounds (20 sounds)

  2. Consonant Sounds (24 sounds)

1. Vowel Sounds (20 Sounds)

A vowel sound is produced when the breath flows out freely from the lungs through the mouth without any blockage, friction, or restriction by the tongue, teeth, or lips.

  • Alphabet Vowels: There are 5 vowel letters ($A, E, I, O, U$).

  • Speech Vowel Sounds: These 5 letters combine to create 20 distinct vowel sounds.

Vowel sounds are further divided into two groups:

  • Monophthongs (Pure Vowels – 12 sounds): These are single, steady vowel sounds. Examples include:

    • Short /ɪ/ as in sit or pin

    • Long /i:/ as in seet or meet

    • Short /æ/ as in cat or man

  • Diphthongs (8 sounds): These are sounds that glide or move from one vowel position to another within the same syllable. Examples include:

    • /aɪ/ as in my or buy

    • /eɪ/ as in day or gate

2. Consonant Sounds (24 Sounds)

A consonant sound is produced when the flow of air from the lungs is obstructed or blocked in some way by the speech organs (such as the lips, teeth, tongue, or roof of the mouth) before it escapes.

  • Alphabet Consonants: There are 21 consonant letters ($B, C, D, F, G, \dots$).

  • Speech Consonant Sounds: These letters produce 24 distinct consonant sounds.

Examples of consonant sounds based on how they block the air:

  • Plosives (Burst of air): /p/ as in pen, /b/ as in bag, /t/ as in tall

  • Nasals (Air escapes through the nose): /m/ as in man, /n/ as in net, /ŋ/ as in sing

  • Fricatives (Squeeze of air): /f/ as in fan, /v/ as in van

Summary of Differences

Feature Vowel Sounds Consonant Sounds
Total Number 20 Sounds 24 Sounds
Airflow Free and unhindered Blocked or restricted by speech organs
Production Sounds are musical and clear Involves friction, clicking, or closing of lips/teeth

Class Exercises / Evaluation Questions

Section A: Identification

Identify whether the underlined sound in the following words is a Vowel or a Consonant:

  1. <u>B</u>oy

  2. <u>A</u>pple

  3. S<u>i</u>t

  4. <u>G</u>oat

  5. <u>E</u>gg

Section B: Theory

  1. How many letters are there in the English alphabet, and how many speech sounds do they produce?

  2. Explain the main difference between a vowel sound and a consonant sound.

  3. List two words containing a short vowel sound and two words containing a long vowel sound.

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