place of articulation (also point of articulation)

In vowels a distinction is drawn regarding the degree of openness of the front of the resonance chamber (of the oral cavity) between a high (e.g. [i]), high-mid (e.g. [e]), mid (e.g. [ə]), low-mid (e.g. [ε]), and low (e.g. [a]), placement of the tongue. One generally speaks of (e.g. in the IPA) closed, half-closed, mid, half-open, and open vowels, respectively.