Diphthongs in American English

Have you ever heard two different vowel sounds in just one syllable? if you have no idea about it, you should start learning it in this lesson. Let's see.

british american

What Are Diphthongs?

The word 'diphthong' comes from Greek and It means 'two sounds'. A diphthong is a vowel formed by two different vowel sounds in just one syllable that produces a unique sound. The sound of a diphthong moves from one vowel to another, which is why they are also called gilding vowels. On the other hand, monophthongs are pure single vowel sounds, so they are different from diphthongs.

The Diphthong Sounds

Down below, you can find the main diphthong sounds shown by the symbols of IPA:

/aɪ/
/eɪ/
/əʊ/
/ɔɪ/
/aʊ/

Now let's analyze each of these diphthongs:

aɪ

The diphthong uses letters such as 'i','igh', and 'y' to form a new sound. Let's take a look at some examples:

lime /laɪm/

As you can see, /aɪ/ is generally spelt with an 'i' more than any other letter.

bright /braɪt/

my /maɪ/

eɪ

The diphthong usually makes a unique sound by combining letters like 'ey', 'ay', 'ai' and 'a'. For example:

rain /reɪn/

pray /preɪ/

ache /eɪk/

prey /preɪ/

əʊ

It can be seen in words that contain letters such as 'ow' and 'oa'. Here are some examples:

slow /sləʊ/

moan /məʊn/

ɔɪ

It is usually found in words containing 'oy' or 'oi'. Here are a few examples:

toy /tɔɪ/

foil /fɔɪl/

aʊ

It is seen in words including letters such as 'ou' and 'ow'. Here are some Examples:

hound /haʊnd/

crown /kraʊn/

Tip!

Remember that not all diphthongs contain two vowel letters. Some diphthongs include consonants such as 'igh' and some of them are represented by a single vowel letter such as 'u'. In phonetics, diphthongs are represented by two vowel characters.

Why Do We Use Diphthongs?

Diphthongs occur when vowels sound differently or make a new sound. The reason is that it is working with conjunctions and with another vowel at the same time. The letter 'i' can sound different in two different words. Take a look at the example below:

silly /ˈsɪl.i/ Vs. smile /smaɪl/

As you can see, the vowel sound /i/ created a new sound and shifted into a diphthong /aɪ/.

Diphthongs in Dialects and Accents

Diphthongs can vary between different English dialects and accents. Because the way people pronounce words can be different based on a specific accent or dialect. So that a monophthong can become a diphthong or vice versa. Take a look at an example of the Southern accent in America:

caught /kɑːt/ sounds like coat /koʊt/

As you can see, the single vowel in the word 'caught' shifted into a diphthong.