The near-close central unrounded vowel is a type of vowel sound, used in some spoken languages. The International Phonetic Alphabet can represent this sound as < ɪ̈ > (centralized ɪ) or < ɨ̞ > (lowered ɨ). In many British dictionaries, this vowel has been transcribed ɪ, which captures its height; in the American tradition it is more often ɨ, which captures its centrality. Recently the OED has adopted an unambiguous but unofficial extension of the IPA, ᵻ (ɪ̵), that is a conflation of the other two symbols, for [ɪ̈] or a vowel that varies between [ɪ] and [ə].

Features

• Its vowel height is near-close, which means the tongue is positioned similarly to a close vowel, but slightly less constricted.
• Its vowel backness is central, which means the tongue is positioned halfway between a front vowel and a back vowel.
• Its vowel roundedness is unrounded, which means that the lips are spread.

Occurrence

Language Word IPA Meaning Notes
Berber Central Morocco Tamazight[1] example needed - Epenthetically inserted into consonant clusters before front consonants.
English parallelepiped [ˌpæɹəlɛlɪ̈ˈpɪpɪ̈d] 'parallelepiped' Reduced vowel for speakers who contrast schwa with "schwi". See English phonology
Russian[2] жена [ʐɨ̞ˈna] 'wife' Occurs only after unpalatalized consonants and in unstressed syllables. See Russian phonology
Welsh Northern dialects[3] pump [pɨ̞mp] 'five' /ɪ/ or /i/ in Southern Dialects. See Welsh phonology

References

Bibliography

• Abdel-Massih, Ernest T. (1971). A Reference Grammar of Tamazight. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan. 
• Ball, Martin J. (1984), "Phonetics for phonology", in Ball, Martin J.; Jones, G.E, Welsh Phonology, Cardiff: University of Wales Press, ISBN 0-7083-0861-9 
• Jones, Daniel; Dennis, Ward (1969), The Phonetics of Russian, Cambridge University Press