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English Vowel and Dipthong Pronunciation
Diphthongs are complex vowel sounds that occur when the tongue moves from one vowel sound to another within the same syllable. Unlike a monophthong, which has a single, unchanging sound, a diphthong has a "gliding" quality as the vowel sound transitions.
In English, common diphthongs include:
- /aɪ/ as in "buy" or "high"
- /eɪ/ as in "say" or "day"
- /ɔɪ/ as in "boy" or "coin"
- /aʊ/ as in "now" or "cow"
- /oʊ/ as in "go" or "no"
- /ɪə/ as in "here" or "near" (more common in British English)
- /eə/ as in "air" or "care" (also more common in British English)
The movement from one vowel to another makes diphthongs dynamic and distinct from steady, single vowel sounds.
A monophthong is a vowel sound pronounced as a single, unchanging sound, without any significant change in quality or length. In other words, it is a single vowel sound that remains constant throughout its pronunciation.
A diphthong is a glide from one vowel sound to another within a single syllable (e.g., the phoneme /aɪ/ in the words I, my or try). This is different from a monophtong, where there is just one vowel sound (/æ/ in man or sand).