Halfclose

Halfclose is a historical term in phonetics and phonology used to describe a vowel height that lies between close (high) vowels and near-close (near-high) vowels. The exact boundary between halfclose and the adjacent heights varies across languages and authors, making the term somewhat imprecise in modern descriptions. In contemporary practice, the International Phonetic Association tends to prefer the label near-close for vowels that are just below close.

Usage of the term halfclose appears mainly in older grammars and cross-linguistic surveys. In those sources, halfclose described vowels that are high but not fully close, corresponding to what many current descriptions would classify as near-close. Vowel height is commonly arranged on a scale that runs from close to open, with near-close and halfclose occupying adjacent positions in some schemes. Because different traditions draw the boundaries differently, some linguists treat halfclose as a historical variant rather than a distinct, widely recognized category.

Today, most reference works favor the terms close and near-close, and halfclose is encountered primarily in historical contexts or in descriptions that predate the widespread adoption of IPA terminology. For readers and students, the term is best understood as a historical alias for near-close vowels, rather than a separate, current phonetic category. See also near-close, close vowel, vowel height.