VOWELS DIPHTHONGS Prepared by Dr Joseph Domenech The

VOWELS & DIPHTHONGS Prepared by: Dr. Joseph Domenech

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.

/eɪ/ - long A sound sliding into a long E sound. /aɪ/ - a long I sound sliding into a long E sound. /ɔɪ/ -long O sound that quickly slides into a long E sound. /ɪə/ -long E sound sliding into an Ur sound. /eə/ -long A sound sliding into an Ur sound. /aʊ/ -short A sound sliding into an “oo sound”. /oʊ/ - single long O sound. As a diphthong, it has a long O sound sliding into an “oo sound”.

Try saying these words: (the diphthongs are in red) • brown • fair • share • slow • guy • ouch • away • eye • boy

/eɪ/ (Long A sound) This diphthong is similar to the long A sound. It is pronounced as a long A sound sliding into a long E sound. Some dialects pronounce the long A sound as one single sound (like in bake and late). Others pronounce it as two vowel sounds. It really depends on where you live. People with southern accents (from the south part of the United States) will stretch out the diphthong more.

Try saying these words with two vowel sounds: (the diphthong is in red) • day • say • may • away • pay • lay • play • eight

/aɪ/ This diphthong is pronounced as a long I sound sliding into a long E sound. Again, this sound can vary from dialect to dialect. Some dialects pronounce the long I sound in the following words as one single sound. Some dialects pronounce the vowel sound more like the "AH" sound you would here in "ball". Others pronounce it as two vowel sounds.

Try saying these words with two vowel sounds: (the diphthong is in red) • sky • try • fry • die • cry • tie • why • eye

/ɔɪ/ This diphthong is pronounced as a long O sound that quickly slides into a long E sound. Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red) • boy • toy • annoy

• enjoy • ploy • soil • foil • boil

/ɪə/ This diphthong is pronounced as a long E sound sliding into an Ur sound. Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red) • pier • hear • steer • clear • fear • deer • ear

/eə/ This diphthong is pronounced as a long A sound sliding into an Ur sound. Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red) • bear • hair • fair • stairs

• brown • cow • how • frown • now • wow

• pair • wear • Where /aʊ/ This diphthong is pronounced as a short A sound sliding into an “oo” sound.

/oʊ/ This diphthong is often just pronounced as a single long O sound. As a diphthong, it has a long O sound sliding into an “oo” sound.

• yellow • coat • float • though • toe • no • low • although