How are vowels defined in terms of their properties?

• A. By their duration and loudness
• B. By their height, backness, and roundness
• C. By their pitch and frequency
• D. By their place and manner of articulation

Answer: (B)

Vowels are primarily defined by their distinct physical properties, which include height, backness, and roundness.

Height refers to how high or low the tongue is in the mouth when producing a vowel sound. This can be categorized into high, mid, and low positions. Backness pertains to the position of the tongue along the front-back dimension; vowels can be front, central, or back depending on where the tongue is situated in the mouth during articulation. Roundness describes whether the lips are rounded or unrounded when producing the vowel sound. This combination of tongue height, tongue position, and lip shape gives each vowel its unique sound quality, allowing us to identify and differentiate them.

The other definitions provided relate to different aspects of speech sounds. For instance, duration and loudness pertain more to prosody and intensity rather than the inherent vowel characteristics. Pitch and frequency are more relevant to tone and intonation in speech, which affect the overall sound but do not define vowel categories. Lastly, place and manner of articulation are terms applicable mainly to consonants, focusing on how and where consonant sounds are produced rather than the specific attributes of vowels. Hence, the choice that accurately describes vowel properties is based on height, backness, and roundness