Retracted vowel
Okay, kiddo, so have you ever said a word and it sounds like you stretched it out really long, like "maaaaay"? Well, sometimes grown-ups do that too, and it's called a retracted vowel.
Now, when we talk, we use lots of different sounds, right? And some of those sounds are vowels, like "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u". When we say those vowels, we shape our mouths and tongues in different ways to create those sounds.
But a retracted vowel is when we say the vowel sound, but we move our tongue and mouth back a little bit while we say it, so it sounds different. For example, the word "five" has an "i" sound, but if we retract it, it might sound more like "fahv". It's still the same word, but it sounds a little different.
Sometimes people use retracted vowels on purpose, like if they're trying to sound more formal or if it's part of their accent. Other times, it just happens naturally when someone is talking. But either way, it's just a variation of the way we use vowels in our speech.
Now, when we talk, we use lots of different sounds, right? And some of those sounds are vowels, like "a", "e", "i", "o", and "u". When we say those vowels, we shape our mouths and tongues in different ways to create those sounds.
But a retracted vowel is when we say the vowel sound, but we move our tongue and mouth back a little bit while we say it, so it sounds different. For example, the word "five" has an "i" sound, but if we retract it, it might sound more like "fahv". It's still the same word, but it sounds a little different.
Sometimes people use retracted vowels on purpose, like if they're trying to sound more formal or if it's part of their accent. Other times, it just happens naturally when someone is talking. But either way, it's just a variation of the way we use vowels in our speech.