Salaries. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for both optometrists and physicians. According to its May 2011 figures, the average income for optometrists was $107,720 per year. That same figure, for physicians and surgeons, was $184,650.
In phonetics, a vowel is a sound in spoken language, with two competing definitions. In the more common phonetic definition, a vowel is a sound pronounced with an open vocal tract, so that the tongue does not touch the lips, teeth, or roof of the mouth, such as the English ah /ÉË/ or oh /oÊ/. There is no build-up of air pressure at any point above the glottis.
Some texts speak very loosely when they say there are five vowels. They mean to say that there are five vowel letters (a, e, i, o, u). Actually, y and w are also used as vowel letters. That is, these seven letters and combinations of them are used to represent vowels. A vowel is something you hear, not something you see. The symbols (letters) you see are not, strictly speaking, vowels. They represent vowels, which is quite different. Depending on which variety of English you are talking about there are 14 or 15 vowels.