Abstract
For studying the Phonology of a language or a dialect, there is a need to classify and describe the vowel and consonant sounds that constitute the sound system as one of the aspects. Crystal (2008) defined vowel sound as “ Vowel is one of the two general categories used for the classification of speech sounds, the other being consonant. Vowels can be defined in terms of both phonetics and phonology. Phonetically, they are sounds articulated without a complete closure in the mouth or a degree of narrowing which would produce audible friction; the air escapes evenly over the centre of the tongue. If air escapes solely through the mouth, the vowels are said to be oral; if some air is simultaneously released through the nose, the vowels are nasal. In addition to this, in a phonetic classification of vowels, reference would generally be made to two variables, the first of which is easily describable, the second much less so: (a) the position of the lips – whether rounded, spread, or neutral; (b) the part of the tongue raised, and the height to which it moves”.
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