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Diphthong: English Pronunciation, Lesson 17

A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds within the same syllable. In diphthongs, the tongue or speech organs move during the pronunciation of the vowel, starting with one sound and transitioning to the next. In English, examples of diphthongs include the ou sound in "cow", the oy sound in "boy", the ow sound in "now", and the ai sound in "ride". Diphthongs contrast with monophthongs, which contain a single, unchanging vowel sound within a syllable like in the words "ah" and "ow".

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1K views6 pages

Diphthong: English Pronunciation, Lesson 17

A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds within the same syllable. In diphthongs, the tongue or speech organs move during the pronunciation of the vowel, starting with one sound and transitioning to the next. In English, examples of diphthongs include the ou sound in "cow", the oy sound in "boy", the ow sound in "now", and the ai sound in "ride". Diphthongs contrast with monophthongs, which contain a single, unchanging vowel sound within a syllable like in the words "ah" and "ow".

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Dessa Marie Booc
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© © All Rights Reserved
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A diphthong (/df/ DIF-thong or /dp/ DIP-thong;[1] from Greek: , diphthongos,

literally "two sounds" or "two tones"), also known as a gliding vowel, is a combination of two
adjacent vowel sounds within the same syllable. Technically, a diphthong is a vowel with two different
targets: that is, the tongue (and/or other parts of the speech apparatus) moves during the
pronunciation of the vowel. In many dialects of English, the phrase no highway cowboys/
no hawe kabz/ has five distinct diphthongs, one in every syllable.
Diphthongs contrast with monophthongs, where the tongue or other speech organs do not move and
the syllable contains only a single vowel sound. For instance, in English, the word ah is spoken as a
monophthong //, while the word ow is spoken as a diphthong /a/. Where two adjacent vowel
sounds occur in different syllablesfor example, in the English word re-electthe result is described
as hiatus, not as a diphthong.
Diphthongs often form when separate vowels are run together in rapid speech during a
conversation. However, there are also unitary diphthongs, as in the English examples above, which
are heard by listeners as single-vowel sounds (phonemes).[2]
Diphthongs use two vowel sounds in one syllable to make a speech sound. [3]

Diphthong
(a combination of two vowel sounds)

English Pronunciation, Lesson 17


Click Here for the American Accent Audio Course.
In English, there are two types of vowel sounds: monophthongs and diphthongs.
A monophthong is a vowel with a single sound, such as the long E soundin "meet" and
the UH sound (short U) in "rust." Monophthongs make one single vowel sound in a syllable.
You do not have to change the shape of your mouth while saying the vowel sound.
A diphthong is a more complex vowel sound.
The word diphthong comes from the Latin word "diphthongus" and the Greek word
"diphthongos," meaning "having two sounds."
Diphthongs begin with one vowel sound and change to another vowel sound in the same
syllable. Your mouth position changes slightly through the vowel sound.
Diphthongs are often (but not always) made when two vowels are next to each other in the
same syllable.

Try saying these words: (the diphthongs are in red)

brown

fair

share

slow

guy

boy

ouch

away

eye

Practice Materials for Diphthongs (AmE)

These materials can be used as additional phonetic exercises for practicing


diphthongs in frequently used words. Words are arranged here in groups
with similar spelling. After sufficient practice of these exercises, you can mix
the words and practice their pronunciation again. (You can listen to similar
words in Listening for Vowels (AmE) in the section Phonetics.)
Diphthongs

[ei], [ai], [au], [oi], [ou]


ray ride how boy no;
The sound [ei] as in RAY

rate late Kate fate race base place same name take ache
lake rage age wage save cave wave;
dictate educate decorate celebrate concentrate investigate;
cable table able cradle range change strange taste waste;

baby bacon paper April danger angel stranger basis lazy


crazy;
patient racial nation nature fatal patriot radio vacant;
ray gray play lay day may say way pray stay stray
delay;
hey prey they convey obey;
rain main aim brain drain train stain remain explain
complain;
fail mail sail rail raise raid afraid wait straight faint paint;
weight weigh eight vein neighbor;
break great steak;
betrayal portrayal layer player conveyor surveyor;
saying staying playing laying praying delaying conveying
obeying archaic.
The sound [ai] as in RIDE

ride nice ice life file smile line fine quite rise wise prize
hi;
polite combine arrive surprise despise organize modernize;
private library final minus crisis climate bicycle horizon item
Ida;
idea ideal identity identical biology;
find kind mind blind child mild wild climb rifle trifle title
idle;
high sigh sign right fight night light sight height;

lie die tie dye rye bye eye buy guy alibi;
cry dry fry try by my sky style type hype;
nylon cycle cyber hybrid dynamite dynamic hyperactive;
rely reply apply deny satisfy modify signify analyze paralyze;
buying lying flying frying trying drying crying dying denying
replying;
diet client quiet riot giant lion violet dial diary diagram
denial trial science society pioneer;
buyer flyer dryer higher iron liar prior;
fire hire dire wire tire tired entire aspire expire desire
require acquire empire.
The sound [au] as in HOW

how cow now allow owl brown down town clown drown
crown crowd powder browse browser;
loud proud cloud out shout about doubt foul noun house
mouse mouth south couch;
found ground around pound sound count amount mountain
announce bounce;
allowing plowing / ploughing;
towel bowel Powell;
power tower flower shower coward Howard;
hour our sour flour.
The sound [oi] as in BOY

noise voice avoid poison join coin point boil foil oil spoil
toil exploit;
joy toy boy annoy employ destroy;
toying employing destroying annoying;
loyal royal voyage annoyance oyster destroyer employer.
The sound [ou] as in NO

role bone phone stone close note notice lonely home hope
open ocean remote suppose;
go ago no so toe hero zero veto ego echo radio studio
Mexico potato tomato logo motto;
solar polar modal total motor moment bonus focus vogue
social soldier coworker;
cold gold hold old bold sold told roll poll control bolt
colt folk yolk comb don't won't;
most post host hostess ghost both;
road load boat coat oat oak soak goal coal coach
approach roast toast boast coast;
soul shoulder though although dough;
OK obey omit hotel motel;
low know mow snow show tow owe own bowl blow blown
grow grown growth throw thrown;
follow borrow narrow sparrow window yellow;
knowing going growing throwing showing sewing towing
blowing owing flowing;
following borrowing narrowing zeroing echoing;

heroic stoical poet poetry;


lower slower mower borrower follower widower.

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