ENGLISH DIPHTHONGS
Hartono, S.S., M.Pd.
College of Language (COLASULA)
Sultan Agung Islamic University
Definition:
• Diphthong: Sounds which consist of a
movement or glide from one vowel to
another.
• Pure Vowel: A vowel which remains constant
does not glide.
• Diphthongs have the same length as the long
vowels.
• The first part (sound) is much longer and
stronger than the second part.
• Example: aɪ in the words ‘eye’ and ‘ɪ ’
consists of the ‘a’ vowel, and only in about the
last quarter of the diphthong, does the glide
to ‘ɪ’ becomes noticeable.
• English has 8 diphthongs.
Centering diphthong:
1. three (3) ending in ‘ə’ : ɪə, eə, uə
Closing diphthong
2. three (3) ending in ‘ɪ’: eɪ, aɪ, ɔɪ
3. two (2) ending in ‘u’: əu, au
EXAMPLES:
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ɪə : beard, weird, fierce, ear, beer, tear
eə: aired, cairn, scarce, bear, hair,
uə: moored, tour, lure, sure, pure
eɪ : paid, pain, face, shade, age, wait, taste, paper
aɪ: tide, time, nice, buy, bike, pie, eye, kite, fine
ɔɪ: void, loin, voice, oil, boil, coin, toy, Roy
əu: load, home, most, bone, phone, boat, bowl
au: loud, gown, house, cow, bow, brow, grouse
TRIPTHONGS
• A triphthong is a glide from one vowel to
another and the to a third, all produced
rapidly and without interruption. For
example, a careful pronunciation of the word
‘hour’ begins with a vowel quality similar to
‘ɑ:’, goes on to ‘u’ then ends in ‘ə’.
• It says /auə/
• Triphthong : 5 closing diphthongs with ‘ə’
added on the end.
- eɪ + ə = eɪə . As in layer, player
- aɪ + ə = aɪə. As in lire, fire
- ɔɪ + ə = ɔɪə, As in loyal, royal
- əu + ə = əuə, as in lower, mower
- au + ə = auə, as in power, hour.
PRACTICE THE FOLLOWING WORDS
Edge
barge
page
voyage
percentage
weight
fright
pain
poppies pepper
Machine
sing
noise
shy
spoilt
Frightened
stars
darn
sigh
shorn
Horse
how’s
hose
harms
owl all
Tour
found
goose class
annoys
home
Soup
mouse
snow
serve
gnaws
Though
through pea
beer
pier
their
They’re
stare
pain
closed again ears