midvowel

A midvowel is a vowel sound articulated with the tongue positioned midway between the highest and lowest possible positions in the mouth. These vowels are also classified by the front-to-back position of the tongue. For example, the 'e' in "bed" and the 'o' in "pole" are midvowels.1

Vowels are sounds produced with minimal obstruction in the vocal tract, allowing air to flow freely. They are classified based on tongue and lip positions, and sometimes by whether air passes through the nose. The traditional method of describing vowels involves the highest point of the tongue and lip positions.12