English Triphthongs: Fire, Player, Power
Five vowel combinations, and how British speakers really say them.
A triphthong is a glide through three vowel positions in one syllable, for example /aɪə/ in fire. British English has five. In fast speech they are often simplified, which makes them interesting to listen for.
The Five Triphthongs
Each triphthong is a closing diphthong followed by a schwa /ə/.
| Sound | Parts | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /eɪə/ | /eɪ/ + /ə/ | player, layer, prayer (person who prays), greyer |
| /aɪə/ | /aɪ/ + /ə/ | fire, hire, tired, higher, science, quiet, diet |
| /ɔɪə/ | /ɔɪ/ + /ə/ | royal, employer, lawyer, loyal |
| /əʊə/ | /əʊ/ + /ə/ | lower, slower, mower, grower |
| /aʊə/ | /aʊ/ + /ə/ | power, hour, our, flower, shower, tower |
Notice: there is no R. In British English, fire is /faɪə/ and hour is /aʊə/. The R only appears before a vowel: fire alarm /ˈfaɪər əˌlɑːm/.
2One syllable or two?
Dictionaries count fire and hour as one syllable, but many speakers say them almost as two: fi-er, ow-er. Both are fine. What matters is the glide and the soft schwa at the end, without an R.
Smoothing in Fast Speech
In relaxed British speech, the middle part of a triphthong often disappears.
| Word | Careful | Smoothed |
|---|---|---|
| fire | /faɪə/ | [faə] or [fɑː] |
| power | /paʊə/ | [paə] or [pɑː] |
| hour, our | /aʊə/ | [aə] or [ɑː] |
| tired | /ˈtaɪəd/ | [tɑːd] |
| player | /ˈpleɪə/ | [pleə] |
This is why our can sound like are, and tyre like tar. You don't need to copy smoothing, but recognising it helps you understand fast British English.
Practice
Say each word slowly, feeling all three positions, then at normal speed.
1Words
- fire
- tired
- quiet
- science
- higher
- player
- royal
- employer
- slower
- power
- hour
- flower
- shower
- tower
- our
2Sentences
- The fire in the tower lasted an hour.
- Our employer is a royal lawyer.
- I'm tired of the quiet science lessons.
- The player's flowers are higher than ours.
- Take a shower before you mow the lawn with the slower mower.
3Tip for German speakers
Tip: German already has very similar sounds: sauer sounds almost like English sour, and Feier is close to fire. Use your German vowel, keep the final sound soft, and don't add an R.
Check Yourself
Decide, then open the answer.
-
How many triphthongs does British English have?
Show answer
Five: /eɪə/, /aɪə/, /ɔɪə/, /əʊə/, /aʊə/.
-
Which triphthong is in hour?
Show answer
/aʊə/
-
Which triphthong is in royal?
Show answer
/ɔɪə/
-
Is the R pronounced in fire?
Show answer
No: /faɪə/. Only before a vowel, as in fire alarm.
-
Why can our sound like are?
Show answer
Smoothing: in fast speech /aʊə/ can become [ɑː].
Keep Practising
Related pages in the Pronunciation Studio.
Glide, Then Relax
Start with the diphthong, finish with a soft schwa, and leave out the R. Then listen for the smoothed versions in real British speech.
Fire · Player · Power
Pronunciation Studio Book a lesson