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This paper reviews some issues concerned with the phonetic explanation of the typology of vowel systems in the languages of the world. It analyzes the main trends that are found in the Stanford and the UCLA databases and summarizes some of the universals that have been proposed. Two phonetic models of vowel dispersion are considered, and its relationship with hypothesis about the shape of vocalic systems is discussed. It is argued, following Lindblom�s suggestions that vowel systems can be conceived as a result of articulatory and perceptual constraints, involved in the communication process.
