Back vowel

{{IPA chart vowels}} A '''back vowel''' is a type of [[vowel]] sound used in spoken [[language]]s. The defining characteristic of a back vowel is that the tongue is positioned as far back as possible in the mouth without creating a constriction that would be classified as a [[consonant]]. Back vowels are sometimes also called '''dark vowels''' because they are perceived as sounding darker than the [[front vowel]]s. The back vowels for which the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] provides unique symbols are: * [[close back unrounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ɯ]}} * [[close back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|[u]}} * [[close-mid back unrounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ɤ]}} * [[close-mid back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|[o]}} * [[open-mid back unrounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ʌ]}} * [[open-mid back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ɔ]}} * [[open back unrounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ɑ]}} * [[open back rounded vowel]] {{IPA|[ɒ]}}