Diphthongs

What Are Diphthongs?#

Diphthongs are gliding vowel sounds that involve a change in quality within a single syllable. They are produced by combining two vowel sounds, where the speaker’s tongue or lips move from one position to another during pronunciation.

Common Diphthongs and Their Sounds#

1. /eɪ/ (as in “say”)

   • Spelling patterns: ay, ai, a_e, ei, ey
   • Examples: day, rain, make, eight, they

2. /aɪ/ (as in “high”)

   • Spelling patterns: i_e, y, ie, igh, i
   • Examples: bike, cry, tie, night, find

3. /ɔɪ/ (as in “boy”)

   • Spelling patterns: oi, oy
   • Examples: coin, toy, point, employ

4. /aʊ/ (as in “now”)

   • Spelling patterns: ou, ow
   • Examples: house, cow, about, town

5. /oʊ/ (as in “go”)

   • Spelling patterns: o_e, oa, ow, o
   • Examples: home, boat, grow, go

6. /ɪə/ (as in “hear”)

   • Spelling patterns: ear, eer, ere
   • Examples: dear, cheer, here

7. /eə/ (as in “air”)

   • Spelling patterns: air, are, ear
   • Examples: fair, care, bear

8. /ʊə/ (as in “tour”)

   • Spelling patterns: ure, our
   • Examples: pure, sure, tour

Examples in Context#

1. The rain (/eɪ/) in Spain (/eɪ/) falls mainly (/eɪ/) on the plain (/eɪ/).
2. The boy (/ɔɪ/) made a loud (/aʊ/) noise (/ɔɪ/) as he joined (/ɔɪ/) the crowd (/aʊ/).
3. I heard (/ɪə/) a clear (/ɪə/) sound (/aʊ/) coming (/oʊ/) from over there (/eə/).

Key Takeaways#

• Diphthongs are gliding vowel sounds that change quality within a single syllable.
• Common diphthongs in English include /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /ɔɪ/, /aʊ/, /oʊ/, /ɪə/, /eə/, and /ʊə/.
• Diphthongs can be represented by various spelling patterns in written English.
• Regular practice is key to learning diphthongs.

FAQs About Diphthongs#