DESCRIPTION OF DIPHTHONGS IN ENGLISH A diphthong is defined as a vowel which changes it s quality in the course of its production. It begins as one vowel and ends as another. It is on account of this reason that a diphthong is indicated in phonetic transcription by writing two symbols, the first showing the starting position of the tongue and the second symbol showing the final position of the tongue. Diphthongs are of two types: 1. Closing . Centering A diphthong is called a closing diphthong when diphthong when the movement is towards the closer position of the tongue. If this movement is small, the diphthong is called narrow; but if the movement is large, the diphthong is called wide. A diphthong is called a centering diphthong when the movement is towards the center of the tongue. !ere, we shall deal with the eight diphthongal vowel glides of "nglish language.
1. / ei ei / as in ‘ray’ / rei re i / #his diphthong begins at about halfway between the half close and half open positions, and moves upwards in the direction of $ I $. It is a long sound of the letter a. It starts at about the "nglish vowel $ e $ and glides towards "nglish vowel $ I $. Make, late, break etc. etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
a
base, ta taste
•
ai
rain, ain, aim aim
•
ay
day, ay, pray pray
•
ei
weigh, eigh, eight eight
•
ey
they, ey, whey whey
•
ea
eat, brea great, brea% %
#his diphthong can occur in all the three positions of a word i.e. initial, middle and final position.
2. /
əʊ
Initial
Medial
Final
"ight Aim
late rail
say day
‘go’ / gə ʊ / / as in go’
#his glide starts at a point in advance of the bac% position and almost half way between the half&close and half&open positions. It moves towards $ ʊ $ in which the bac% of the tongue rises slightly, slightly, and there is a greater greater rounding of lips. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
o
home, f ol%
•
oa
oa%, oa%, soa soap p
•
oe
toe, oe, f oe oe
•
ou
soul, oul, thou though gh
•
ow
ow, own own sow,
'e hear it in all three positions in a word. Initial
Medial
Final
(wn (ar
fold wrote
so go
3. / ai ai / as in ‘kind’ / kain ka ind d / In the production of this sound, we have a glide from the front open position in the direction of the position for the vowel $ I $. #here is a change in the position of lips from a neutral to a loosely spread position. Time, hid, tide etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
y
by, s%y s%y, ty type
•
ie
tie, ie, pie pie
•
ye
dye, ye, eye eye
•
ei
either either
•
igh
high, igh, thigh thigh
'e hear it all three positions in a word. Initial
Medial
Final
"ither Ice
height mind
l ie by
4. / aʊ / as in ‘house’ / haʊ s / In this diphthong we have a glide beginning between the front and the bac% open positions and proceeding in the direction of $ ʊ $. #here is a slight rounding of lips at the end, whereas they are neutral in the beginning. Mouse, crowd etc. etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
ou
ound, shou round, shoutt
•
ow
owl, owl, tow town n
")amples of its occurrence in all three positions are given below:
5. /
ɔI
Initial
Medial
Final
(ut
sound
cow
(ust
bout
how
/ as in ‘boy’ /
ɔI
/
#he lips are in an open rounded position at the beginning, but neutral at the end. #he tongue moves from bac% to centrali*ed point. Employ, voice etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
oi
choice, oice, +oi +oint nt
•
oy
oy, annoy toy, annoy
#he three positions of this sound: Initial
Medial
Final
(il
boil
toy
(yster
foil
ploy
!. / iə / as in ‘here’ or ‘hear’ / hiə / #his diphthong begins at $ I $ and moves to $ ə $. It has a stronger stress in the first part than in the second or end&part. It begins at a fairly close, front, and unrounded form, and ends at a central, nearly half&open unrounded position. Idea, sincere etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
e
period, *e *ero
•
eer
cheer, eer, deer deer
•
ear
dear, ear, f ear ear
•
ere
mere, ere, here here
•
ier
tier, ier, f ierce ierce
•
ea
idea
It occurs in all the three positions in a word as shown below: Initial
Medial
Final
"ar
weird
fear
Ian
period
steer
". / eə / as in ‘their’ / #eə / eginning by being half&open, front, unrounded, this diphthong end at a central, nearly half&open unrounded form. #he lips remain in a neutral position. Care, chair etc. etc. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are:
$. /
ʊə
•
air
air, air pair,
•
ar
dare, are, var various ious
•
ear
bear, ear, wear wear
Initial
Medial
Final
!eir
scarce
chair
air
chaired
pair
poor’ / pʊ ə / / as in ‘ poor’
#his diphthong starts as $ ʊ $ and ends at the sound sound of $ ə $. #he position of lips is wea%ly rounded at the beginning and neutral at the end. It is a falling diphthong in which the beginning part is pronounced with greater stress than the end part. #he spellings representing this vowel sound are: •
oo
poo oorr
•
ou
our tour
---------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------
shuaib//.blogspot.com shuaib//.wordpress.com
%&'(I) (%*&(+ D"0A#2"3# (4 "356I7! 5(8#. A98IA I76A2IA C(66"5 !A((3AAD
