Professional Documents
Culture Documents
English and Spanish Diphthongs
English and Spanish Diphthongs
Number 8 14
Centring diphthongs
they involve a glide
towards a central
position , , .
Centring diphthongs
are more difficult for
Spanish learners since
they tend to start
them in a
position which is
too near
and too near
and too
near Spanish
;
they would use a
full vowel for
as end point;
they would insert
an intrusive “r”
sound (e.g.
“here” );
this can be
avoided by
keeping the tip of
the tongue low;
they tend to
make them as
two syllables
(e.g. “here”
-, “chair”
-, “tour”
-. Learners
should remember
that diphthongs
are units and
should be said in
one impulse of
breath.
Spanish learners
should give
sufficient length
to the first
element, making
the correct
reductions of
quantity in the
right contexts.
Sources: