eau In British English

In the following lesson, the 'eau' multigraph will be discussed in terms of its phonetic representations.

Multigraphs are combinations of two or more letters that unite to create a distinct sound in a word.

Multigraph 'eau'

A diphthong that starts with an open-mid back rounded vowel and glides to a close-mid back rounded vowel, producing a smooth, rounded sound.

Example

tableau /ˈtæ.bləʊ/

bureau /ˈbjʊ.ɹəʊ/

morceau /ˈmɔː(ɹ)səʊ/

nouveau /nuːˈvəʊ/

Though not a common pronunciation pattern, 'eau' is pronounced /juː/ in the word 'beauty' and its derivatives like 'beautiful' and 'beautify.'

Example

beauty /ˈbjuːti/

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