Diphthongs: /aʊ/, /eɪ/, /oʊ/, /əʊ/, /aɪ/
Diphthongs in English: /aʊ/, /eɪ/, /oʊ/, /əʊ/, /aɪ/
Diphthongs are vowel sounds that involve a glide from one vowel to another within a single syllable. They are pronounced with a combination of two vowel sounds.
/aʊ/
- Pronunciation: As in “house”, “mouse”, “louse”
- Characteristics: Starts with /a/ and glides to /ʊ/.
- Examples: “about”, “cloud”, “found”
/eɪ/
- Pronunciation: As in “bait”, “great”, “eight”
- Characteristics: Starts with /e/ and glides to /ɪ/.
- Examples: “cake”, “take”, “make”
/oʊ/
- Pronunciation: As in “boat”, “coat”, “goat”
- Characteristics: Starts with /o/ and glides to /ʊ/.
- Examples: “road”, “load”, “toad”
/əʊ/
- Pronunciation: As in “go”, “no”, “so”
- Characteristics: Starts with /ə/ (the schwa sound) and glides to /o/.
- Examples: “slow”, “grow”, “throw”
/aɪ/
- Pronunciation: As in “bite”, “light”, “night”
- Characteristics: Starts with /a/ and glides to /ɪ/.
- Examples: “time”, “line”, “mine”
Key points to remember:
- Combination of vowels: Diphthongs involve a smooth transition from one vowel sound to another within a single syllable.
- Glide: The transition between the two vowels is often described as a “glide.”
- Examples: The word “house” contains the diphthong /aʊ/, which starts with /a/ and glides to /ʊ/.
Practice: Try saying words containing these diphthongs to familiarize yourself with their sounds and pronunciations.
