ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION A B (: ) , “vowels are not as easy to classify as consonants.” Nor are they easy to describe generally in terms of their articulatory and acoustic correlates, and furthermore they pose particular problems for perceptual analysis and transcription. Rippmann, it seems, had a point! is chapter will consider some phonetic approaches to vowel description from both instrumental and perceptual perspectives and will examine evidence from speech development and impaired speech, which helps to illuminate some of the particular challenges and problems posed by vowel description and classifi cation.
