Oral vowel

If the air escapes only through the mouth, these are oral vowels; there are twelve in French: [i], [y], [u], [e], [ø], [o], [ə], [ɛ], [œ], [ɔ], [a] and [ɑ]. The vowel [ɑ] is rare.

Oral vowels are pronounced with the soft palate raised, the air does not pass through the nose.

• For non-rounded vowels, the lips are apart or in a neutral position: [i] [e] [ɛ] [a].
• For rounded vowels, the lips are rounded and projected forward: [y] [u] [ø] [ə] [œ] [o] [ɔ] [ɑ].