pronunciations of O and I

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TaiwanPofLee

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We have long vowel sounds in English and short vowel sounds. One has to learn the difference. That is not a simple process.

It's not so difficult for me:

1. Learn the American pronunciation of the alphabet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xSaINX-fdc
(Happy Kids, ABC Writing | Alphabet Writing | Capital Letters | Upper-Case Letters)

2. The alphabet contains 13 vowels:
monophthong: [e] [E] [o] [>] [x] [X] [.]
diphthong: [A] [O]

3. Addition of 6 vowels:
monophthong: [e] [E] [o] [>] [x] [X] [.]
[a]
diphthong: [A] [ow] [O] [>i] [yx] [y.] [.r]

*Phonetic symbols and contents from Prof. Lee's <A.E. American Eglish Reader>.
 
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MikeNewYork

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If it is not difficult for you, why do you have so many questions?
 

MikeNewYork

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I understand.
 

Raymott

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2. The alphabet contains 13 vowels:
diphthong: [A] [O]

Yes, that's their names. I'm glad you've finally stumbled upon what I tried to tell you about a month ago!
But the English alphabet doesn't have 13 vowels. It has 5. You are using "alphabet" in the wrong way. English may have 13 vowel sounds, though I'm certain this number varies by dialect.
I truly hope you don't need another few weeks before coming to believe this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_alphabet
Note, I have other sources.

PS: There is also nothing different about the pronunciations of capital and small letters. 'O' and 'o' as letter names are pronounced the same, and they also make the same sound, that is 'BONE' and 'bone' are pronounced the same.
Also, [>] [x] [X] [.] are not English vowels to my knowledge, but I don't know what system you are using.
 
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MikeNewYork

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Well, English has 5 main vowels and sometimes Y, the sixth.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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To me, phonetic symbols are symbols created to represent sounds. The Taiwan people use ㄅㄆㄇㄈetc (37 symbols) for their Mandarin Chinese sounds. The PRC people switched from ㄅㄆㄇㄈetc to bo po mo fo etc.

<A.E. American Eglish Reader>: [>] represents 'aw' as in 'law', [x] represents 'u' as in 'put', [.] represents 'a' as in 'ago' etc.

I appreciate all of your responses.
 
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TaiwanPofLee

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Well, English has 5 main vowels and sometimes Y, the sixth.

I am teaching Taiwan people that there are now 19 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds in 'standard' American English.

*For the 19 vowel sounds, please see #21, above.
 

MikeNewYork

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I think you are making it more complicated than it need be.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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I think you are making it more complicated than it need be.

Oxford, Cambridge, Longman, Collins, Merriam-Webster, American Heritage, KK and so on all have different phonetic symbols. Prof. Lee's symbols are easy to use on the computer.

What is more, I think it is easy to learn a new phonetic system after you have learned one system.
 
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Charlie Bernstein

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It's not so difficult for me:

1. Learn the American pronunciation of the alphabet
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xSaINX-fdc
(Happy Kids, ABC Writing | Alphabet Writing | Capital Letters | Upper-Case Letters)

2. The alphabet contains 13 vowels: No, it doesn't. The only vowels are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y.

monophthong: [e] [E] [o] [>] [x] [X] [.] E is the only monothong.

diphthong: [A] [O] And Y.


Short vowels are usually monothongs.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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Short vowels are usually monothongs.

Thank you for your response, Charlie.

I certainly know the English alphabet has 5 vowel letters, or 6 vowel letters, including y.

I am talking about English pronunciation. I should have said "The alphabet contains 13 vowel sounds" instead of "The alphabet contains 13 vowels."

And, I am talking about the vowel phonemes which the pronunciations of the names of the 26 alphabet letters contain.

Prof. Lee's A.E. phonetic symbols (in part):
[e] egg in [E] eve [o] ox [>] all [x] book [X] boot us [.] ago
[A] ape ice [O] old use
 
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TaiwanPofLee

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I think you are making it more complicated than it need be.

Complicating or creative: that is the question!
Whether 'tis complicating: that is a second question!
 
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MikeNewYork

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It is not a question for me.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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[h=1]Shakespearean or Newyokerean: that is a third question![/h]
 

MikeNewYork

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I'll take NewYorkian.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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English: The English alphabet has five vowel letters.
SaypYu: dhɘ Inglish alfɘbet haz fayv vawɘl letɘrz.
A.E.: [TH. iNgliS alf.bet haz fIv v@.l let.rz]
 

MikeNewYork

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Five main vowel letters and sometimes Y.
 

TaiwanPofLee

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Five main vowel letters and sometimes Y.

A, E, I, O, U: vowel letters;
W: consonant letter, sometimes a semivowel letter;
Y : consonant letter, sometimes a semivowel letter, sometimes a vowel letter.
 

MikeNewYork

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I don't know about W being a semivowel. It certainly can affect the pronunciation of a vowel that precedes it but so can R and H.
 
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