Vowels in the Languages of the World • We earlier looked at a classification of vowels using parameters based on labels referring to articulation - height & backness of tongue body and lip position. • In practice, most vowel description is based on auditory evaluation or on acoustic measurement. • The standard IPA vowel chart provides reference points for a primarily auditory comparison of vowel qualities. * Many thanks to Ian Maddieson who shared his teaching materials with me. These slides are adapted from his with minor changes.