Changes of Pronunciation in the English Language. The Great Vowel Shift in Southern England?

Abstract or Introduction

This report investigates the ways of vowel sounds in the English language in Southern England, the changes of vowel sounds during the Great Vowel Shift, and the pronunciation of vowels after the eighteenth century. The Great Vowel Shift is a significant sound change in vowel pronunciation in the English language throughout the fifteenth to the eighteenth century. Since English is not a dead language like Sumerian, Sanskrit, or Akkadian, the vowels sounds of this language must have been changing phonologically after the Great Vowel Shift until the current dates. In the English language after the Great Vowel Shift, the vowel tenseness and the formant frequency had changed. From this study, there are two interestingly resultative analytical assessments. First, the vowel sounds in the English language in Southern England are still changing after the Great Vowel Shift. This may suggest that the Great Vowel Shift has not ended, but the change might not be as clearly visible as the time when the Great Vowel Shift was happening, i.e., the Great Vowel Shift could be a continuous change, but it happens very slowly after the eighteenth century. Second, the change after the Great Vowel Shift is an entirely different type of change. The Great Vowel Shift may have completely ended and another type of vowel sound change is happening after the eighteenth century.