In which period of English did the Great Vowel Shift begin?
Late Middle English
Which word once sounded like “beet” but doesn’t anymore?
Bite
What major change shook English vowels?
The pronunciation of long vowels changed
Which Middle English sound did modern “time” come from?
/iː/
When did the Great Vowel Shift mostly end?
Around the 17th century.
Which word changed from /uː/ to /aʊ/?
House
Did vowels mostly move up, down, or sideways in the mouth?
Up
Which word shows a change from /eː/ to /iː/?
Feet
Did the GVS occur before or after the invention of printing?
After it began
Which word looks simple but hides a vowel shift: name or cat?
Name
What do we call this upward movement of vowels?
Raising
Which word changed from /oː/ to /uː/?
Go
Why is the GVS considered one of the most important changes in English?
It reshaped the vowel system of Modern English
Why doesn’t “feet” sound the way it looks?
Because its vowels shifted
Did the Great Vowel Shift affect spelling or pronunciation more?
Pronunciation
Why does “house” not rhyme with “goose”?
Because their vowels shifted differently during the GVS.
How long did the Great Vowel Shift last approximately?
About 300 years. (1350-1700)
Name any one word affected by the Great Vowel Shift.
Bite / House / Name / Feet.
Was the Great Vowel Shift fast or slow?
Slow and gradual
Give one example of a word that became a diphthong during the GVS.
Bite, house,name