English Diphthongs
Mastering the "Gliding Vowels" of the English Language
What is a Diphthong?
The word diphthong comes from the Greek word diphthongos, meaning "two sounds." In phonetics, a diphthong is a single syllable vowel sound in which the tongue moves from one position to another. Unlike "monophthongs" (pure vowels like the 'o' in 'hop'), diphthongs require a glide.
The 8 Standard English Diphthongs
While accents vary (especially between British Received Pronunciation and General American), these are the eight primary diphthongs used in standard English instruction.
| IPA Symbol | Description | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| /eɪ/ | The "A" sound | Face, day, break |
| /aɪ/ | The "I" sound | Price, high, type |
| /ɔɪ/ | The "OY" sound | Choice, boy, voice |
| /aʊ/ | The "OW" sound | Mouth, now, foul |
| /əʊ/ | The "OH" sound | Goat, show, no |
| /ɪə/ | The "EAR" sound | Near, here, weerd |
| /eə/ | The "AIR" sound | Square, fair, various |
| /ʊə/ | The "URE" sound | Cure, tour, pure |
Categorizing the Glide
Linguists often group diphthongs based on where the tongue "ends" its movement:
- Closing Diphthongs: The tongue moves toward a closer (higher) vowel, like /ɪ/ or /ʊ/. (e.g., /aɪ/, /aʊ/)
- Centering Diphthongs: The tongue moves toward the central "schwa" sound /ə/. (e.g., /ɪə/, /eə/)