American English Vowels (IPA)
American English has several vowel sounds, organized by tongue position: front, central, and back, and by how open or closed your mouth is. This page is your map to all the vowel lessons, with links to detailed pages that include mouth pictures, minimal pairs, and audio practice.
How to Read the American English Vowels on the IPA Chart
- High vs low: Vowels at the top of the chart use a higher tongue position and a more closed mouth; vowels at the bottom use a lower tongue and a more open mouth.
- Front vs back: Vowels on the left use the front of the tongue; vowels on the right use the back of the tongue.
- Each symbol below links to a full lesson where you can see the mouth shape and hear examples.
Front Vowels
- /i/ – meet
- /ɪ/ – risk
- /ɛ/ – tech
- /æ/ – manage
Central Vowels
- /ʌ/ – budget
- /ə/ – support (schwa)
Back Vowels
- /ɑ/ – project
- /ɔ/ – audit
- /u/ – tool
- /ʊ/ – push
How to Use These Lessons
- Start with the vowels you use most at work (like /i/, /ɪ/, /ɛ/, /æ/).
- On each vowel page, practice with the minimal pairs and audio, then return here or to the IPA Chart to move to the next sound.