is in its natural state, that is, contracted, the pointer is at Q, but when the bellows is expanded by air pressure the pointer moves in the direction of q. By attaching a rubber bulb (see fig. 14) and placing it on the tongue, the relative heights of the tongue in pronouncing various vowels, e.g. i, e, ɛ, may be demonstrated.
Fig. 14. Zünd-Burguet’s Quandrant Indicator.
*86. Palatograms are also useful in this connection (see figs. 68, 71, etc.) It is desirable in making palatograms of vowels to take care that the teeth are always kept at the same distance apart, because the diagram obtained depends not only on the height of the tongue but also on the height of the lower jaw. The height of the jaw may be kept constant by holding the end of a pencil firmly between the teeth. The pencil should not be more than 1 cm. in diameter.[1] When the teeth are kept at a constant distance apart the palatograms show the correct relative positions of the tongue, independently of the jaw.
87. Dr. E. A. Meyer of Stockholm has obtained excellent diagrams of the tongue positions of vowels by means of a row of fine leaden threads attached to an artificial palate along its centre line. He has also arrived at valuable results with X-ray photographs. An account of his work will be found in Untersuchungen über Lautbildung by E. A. Meyer (published by Elwert, Marburg a. L., Germany), a work of the very highest interest and importance.
88. Vowel quality, though chiefly dependent on the position of the tongue, is also largely affected by the position of the lips. The lips may be held in a natural or neutral position, they may be spread out so as to leave a long narrow opening between them, or they may be drawn together so that the opening between them is more or less round. Vowels produced with the lips the latter position are called rounded vowels, Others are called unrounded. If the spreading of the lips is very marked, the vowels may be termed spread; it is, however, generally sufficient to distinguish vowels simply as rounded or unrounded. Examples of rounded vowels are the sounds of the u type; examples of unrounded vowels are sounds of the i and ɑ types.
89. Another element which is considered by many to be of importance in determining vowel quality is the state of the tongue and
- ↑ If the distance between the teeth is much greater than 1cm., some of the vowels (e. g. the English iː and əː) cannot be pronounced quite correctly. Similarly if the distance is much less than 1cm., there are other vowels (e. g. the English ɔː) which cannot be pronounced quite correctly.
