11
Vowel sounds
Textbook: pp. 21–23
GoalKnow how vowel sounds are produced and how many there are.
New words
vowel sound · unli tovushobstacle · to‘siqoral cavity · og‘iz bo‘shlig‘ilung · o‘pka
Explanation
When we speak, air comes out of the lungs. If this air passes through the oral cavity freely, without hitting anything, a vowel sound is produced; if it meets an obstacle on its way, a consonant appears. So speech sounds are divided into vowels and consonants. Uzbek has six vowel sounds: a, o, e, o‘, u, i. Because the air comes out freely, vowels can be prolonged. Try saying «a-a-a» for a long time — you will feel that neither the lips nor the tongue block the air.
Worked examples
Six vowels: a, o, e, o‘, u, i.
The word «ona» (mother) has two vowels (o, a); «ko‘l» (lake) has one vowel (o‘).
Class activity
“Catch the vowel”: the teacher says a word, and children raise a hand and name the vowel when they hear it.
Practice
1
Which sounds are called vowels?
Sounds made when the air from the lungs meets no obstacle at all in the oral cavity.
2
List the vowel sounds of our language.
A, o, e, o‘, u, i — six in total.
3
Write out the vowels: bog‘, kitob, quyosh.
Bog‘ — o‘; kitob — i, o; quyosh — u, o.
4
Why can vowels be prolonged, while consonants often cannot?
With vowels the air comes out freely; with consonants there is an obstacle.