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{{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]}}