LONG VOWELS, DIPTHONGS AND TRIPHTHONGS

English Long Vowels (: is the vowels which tend to be longer than

the short vowels in similar context.
e.g: ship – sheep /I/ /i:/
2. There are 5 long vowels: ɑː, ɔː, uː, ɜː ; iː
different from the six short vowels
e.g: I with iː, or ʊ with uː, or æ with ɑː
differences in quality ( as tougue shape and
position, and lip position) as well as in length.
The symbols of long vowels consist of one
vowels symbols plus a length mark of two
dots “:”
I:, o:, u:, a:
I, a, u, ,,,..
The length mark is important not because it is
essential but because it helps learners to
remember the length difference.
/iː/ (e.g: beat, mean, peace) – the lips are only
spread and this results in a rather different
vowel quality
/ɜː/ (e.g: bird, fefrn, purse) – the lip position
is neutral
/ɑː/ (e.g: card, half, pass) – the lip position is
neutral
/ɔː/ (e.g: board, torn, horse) – this vowel is
almost fully back and has quite strong lip-
rounding.
/uː/ (e.g: food, soon, loose) – the lips are only
moderately rounded

Dipthongs 1. Pure vowel: a vowel which remains

constant and does not glide
2. Diphtongs: is the sounds which consist of a
movement or glide from one vowel to
another.
In terms of length dipthongs are like the long
vowels.
8 common dipthongs
e.g: ɪə, eɪ, əʊ, oʊ,..( though ʊə is increasingly
rare)
Remember:
The first part of diphthongs is much tronger
than the second part.
e.g: hear /ɪə/ - ɪ : strong; ə: weak
- the last part of English diphthongs must not
be made too strongly.

The easiest way to remember them is in the

terms of three groups divided as in this
diagram

3. Centring diphthongs glide towards the ə

vowel, as the symbols indicate.
ɪə (e.g: “weird” – the starting point is a little
closer than ɪ in “bit”)
eə (e.g: “scare” – the starting point is more
open than the e of “get”)
ʊə (e.g: “tour” – the starting point similar to
ʊ in “pull”; many speakers pronounce /ɔː/
instead.
4. Closing diphthongs: end with a glide
towards a closer vowel. Because the second
part is weak. The important thing is that a
glide from a relatively more open towards a
relatively closer vowel is produced.
Three of the diphthongs glide towards ɪ
eɪ (e.g: “pain” – the starting point is the
same as the e of “get”)
aɪ (e.g: “time” – The first part is open vowel;
it is quite similar to the ʌ of “cut”)
ɔɪ (e.g: “voice” – The first part is slightly
more open than ɔː in “born”)
Two dipghthongs glide towards ʊ ( the
toungue move closer to the roof of the mouth
 + a rounding movement of the lips (not large
one); the second part of the dipthong is weak.
əʊ (e.g: “load” – The first part is the same as
for the “schwa” vowel ə; as in the first
syllable of “about” – The lips may be slightly
rounded like ʊ )
aʊ (e.g: “loud” – The first part is similar to aɪ;
this is an open vowel so ʊ is a large
movement and tounge often does not reach
the ʊ position – The lips is only slight lip-
rounding )

3. Tripthongs 1. A triphthong is a glide from one vowel to

another and then to a third
2. All produced rapidly and without
interruption.
e.g: “hour” begin with similar to ɑ: - close
rounded area of the ʊ position then ends with
a mid-central vowel (schwa, ə)
3. 5 closing diphthongs, with ə added on the
end:

4. In present-day English the extent of the

vowel movement is very small, except in very
careful pronunciation.
+ Tripthong can hardly be heard
+ Resulting sound is difficult to distinguish
from some of the dipthongs and longvowels
e.g: fire /faiə/ ‘hour’ - aʊǝ (likely to be heard
as two syllables)
7. To help identify these triphthong, some
example words are given here: