tyfktukuk

1. DIPHTHONGS
Prepared by:
Ma. Rowena E. Abdon
MED-English

2. 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.

3. /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” .

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

5. /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.

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

7. /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.

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

9. /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

10. •enjoy
•ploy
•soil
•foil
•boil

11. /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

12. /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

13. •brown
•cow
•how
•frown
•now
•wow

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

15. /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.

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