Placement
Where is /u/ produced?
High back of the mouth
Hand
/hænd/
Read
/rid/ /rɛd/
cat and coat
yes! /kæt/ and /koʊt/ are minimal pairs
Where is /ɛ/ produced?
Middle front of the mouth
/prɪnt/
Bow
/baʊ/ and /boʊ/
Fit and feet
yes! /fɪt/ and /fit/ are minimal pairs
Where is /ɑ/ produced?
Low back of the mouth
Look
/lʊk/
Lead
/lid/ and /lɛd/
sew and saw
yes! /soʊ/ and /sa/ are minimal pairs
Where is /ɪ/ produced?
High front of the mouth (though slightly less high and forward compared to /i/)
fit
/fɪt/
Close
/kloʊs/ and /kloʊz/
I'll and aisle
No! These words sound the same! /aɪl/
Where is /eɪ/ produced?
Front of the mouth. Starts mid-high and ends high.
Instant
/ɪnstənt/
Minute
/mɪnɪt/ and /maɪnut/
cheap and cheep
No! These words sound the same! /tʃip/