Centre for Text Technology (CTexT®)

Interactive vowel chart

Prof. Daan Wissing (Senior Researcher and expert in the field of phonetics and phonology) and Wikus Pienaar of CTexT recently developed an interactive vowel chart.

It is based on Dutch, but can be applied to all similar vowels in other languages, including Afrikaans. The MRI images as well as the pronunciation of the vowels are those of two leading Dutch phoneticians, who are also the authors of the book Algemene fonetiek (2009). The MRIs show tongue and lip positions of the vowels. Differences between vowels are visible and audible, and can also be noted in the movements of the lips and tongue.

Click on the screenshot below to view the vowel chart.

CTexT would like to thank the following people for their contributions:

• Conceptualisation of the Afrikaans vowel chart: Prof. Daan Wissing (CTexT)
• Construction of the interactive vowel chart: Wikus Pienaar (CTexT)
• MRI images: With permission from the publisher and authors of the book, Algemene Fonetiek (2009)
• Voice: Prof. Vincent van Heuven (University of Leiden, the Netherlands)
• MRI images: Taken of Prof. Toni Rietveld during his production of vowels (Radbout University, Nijmegen)
• IPA (International Phonetic Association) vowel chart: Paul Meier (University of Kansas, USA) and Eric Armstrong (York University, Canada).