Talk:Near-open vowel

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A constricted lax variant

Problem:

-Isn't it contradictory to say that the near-open vowel is both more constricted than the open vowel and also a lax variant of open vowels? This area is confusing. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 152.121.19.14 (talk) 01:08, 9 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

No, it isn’t contradictory. In this position more “constricted” (for the air stream) is more relaxed (for the tongue). — Preceding unsigned comment added by Incnis Mrsi (talk • contribs) 19:33, 18 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]

Why only two vowel symbols?

IPA: Vowels

	Front	Central	Back
Close	i y	ɨ ʉ	ɯ u
Near-close	ɪ ʏ		ʊ
Close-mid	e ø	ɘ ɵ	ɤ o
Mid	e̞ ø̞	ə	ɤ̞ o̞
Open-mid	ɛ œ	ɜ ɞ	ʌ ɔ
Near-open	æ	ɐ
Open	a ɶ	ä	ɑ ɒ

Legend: unrounded • rounded

Each of six other vowel heights counts 5 or 6 IPA vowel symbols, but this one has as few as 2. Well, [ɐ] has an ambiguous roundness and can be counted for two vowels, but where is near-open front rounded vowel? Why there are no near-open {near-back or back} vowels? Why the chart features two symbols with lowering diacritic at ɤ—ʌ and o—ɔ segments, and the same picture on the front side, but ʌ—ɑ, ɔ—ɒ segments, and the entire (ʌ•ɔ)—ɐ—(ɑ•ɒ) triangle (or triangular prism for those who think in 3d) are totally blank? It is the only place where neither “Hh Xx ** vowel” nor “Hh near-Xx ** vowel” do not have a spot in the chart. Incnis Mrsi (talk) 19:33, 18 May 2013 (UTC)[reply]