These are vowel segments whose quality is not constant. The quality changes continually when the sound is being uttered. They are a combination of vowels merged into one long vowel.
Diphthongs contain a glide from one vowel to another hence called Vowel Glides. All diphthongs are long vowels and may consist of two unrounded vowel sounds or a combination.
They include:
- /ei/ /veil, grei/
The tongue moves from a point e and glides towards i. There is movement of the tongue accompanied by the slight movement of the lower jaw. It is a closed diphthong. Other examples include words like: ‘straight, aim, may, aim, they’.
- /ai/ /raip, bait/
The tongue starts from a position at the back and glides to i. It is therefore a closed
diphthong. It is found in words like ‘either, height, nice, naive, buy and lie’.
- /b?i, n?is/
The lips start from a round position from back and they spread at final position as it ends
with unrounded vowel. It is found in words like ‘join, toil, coil, boy, annoy, employ’.
- /au/ /haus, aut/
The tongue glides upwards. The lips spread and finally end as rounded. It is a round
diphthong. Examples of such words are ‘out, round, pout, sound, cow, how, doubt’.
- /i?/ /fiar, dia/
Other words include ear, smear, spear, severe, here
- /u?/ /pu?, ju?r/
Found in words like ‘cure, poor, moor, sure, endure, guard’.
- / ?u/
It begins from a central position. It is found in words like ‘toe, doe, road, old, open, oak,
loaf, hope, and goat’.
francis1897 answered the question on August 23, 2022 at 11:24