While the consonant sounds are mostly
articulated via closure or obstruction in
the vocal tract, vowel sounds are
produced with a relatively free flow of air.
They are all typically voiced. To describe
vowel sounds, we consider the way in
which the tongue influences the shape
through which the airflow must pass. To
talk about a place of articulation, we think
of the space inside the mouth as having
afront versus a back and a high versus a
low area. Thus, in the pronunciation of
heat and hit, we talk about “high, front”
vowels because the sound is made with
the front part of the tongue in a raised
position.