Question

Which of the following statements is false about cardinal vowels?

• A. They can be used to describe vowels in any language
• B. They include vowels like [i], [u], and [a]
• C. Their exact quality matches English vowels
• D. They are useful for acoustic phonetic research

Answer 1

Answer:

C. Their exact quality matches English vowels

The cardinal vowels do NOT exactly match English vowels. While symbols like [i], [u], and [a] may be familiar, in the cardinal vowel system they are idealized reference points, not real-life examples from any language. The system is valuable for comparison, not replication.