A back vowel is a type of vowel sound used in some spoken languages. 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. The back vowels identified by the International Phonetic Alphabet are:

• close back unrounded vowel
• close back rounded vowel
• close-mid back unrounded vowel
• close-mid back rounded vowel
• open-mid back unrounded vowel
• open-mid back rounded vowel
• open back unrounded vowel
• open back rounded vowel

See also: List of phonetics topics

Vowels

Hinterzungenvokal | Voyelle postérieure | תנועות אחוריות | 後舌母音 | Vocală posterioară | Hårda vokaler