Tuesday, February 22, 2005, 16:44 GMT
Hi,
Could any one of you native American English speaking people give me an accurate description of how to pronounce the central vowel in words like heard, learn, kirk etc.
That is, how are your lips when you pronounce the sound, what's the tongue's position (front, back, high, low, the tip bend back the whole time or at the end of the atriculation to make the "r-sound", is the tongue straight or curled in the middle, do any parts of the tongue touch for example the upper teeth, does the tongue move during the articulation..), anything else I should know?
I'd also like to know if there are any websites on American English that have the same kind of descriptions on other vowels and consonants as well. Usully they just tell you that a vowel is for example an open front vowel with lips rounded or something, but I'd need something more specific.
Could any one of you native American English speaking people give me an accurate description of how to pronounce the central vowel in words like heard, learn, kirk etc.
That is, how are your lips when you pronounce the sound, what's the tongue's position (front, back, high, low, the tip bend back the whole time or at the end of the atriculation to make the "r-sound", is the tongue straight or curled in the middle, do any parts of the tongue touch for example the upper teeth, does the tongue move during the articulation..), anything else I should know?
I'd also like to know if there are any websites on American English that have the same kind of descriptions on other vowels and consonants as well. Usully they just tell you that a vowel is for example an open front vowel with lips rounded or something, but I'd need something more specific.