PHONETICS I – UNIT 3: DIPHTHONGS: DESCRIPTION

DIPHTHONG ARTICULATORY DESCRIPTION DESCRIPTION AND SPELLING

• Description: For the first element the front
of the tongue is raised below the half close
position, and for the second element, the
glide moves in the direction of vowel # 2,
/eɪ/. The lips are spread.
• Spelling:
a: tame /teɪm/, late /leɪt/
ai: main /meɪn/
ay: may /meɪ/
ei: eight /eɪt/
/eɪ/
ey: they /ðeɪ/
ea: great /greɪt/
• Exceptions:
halfpenny /heɪpnI/
gauge /geɪdʒ/
gaol = jail /dʒeɪl/
• Advice: The first element is closer than
vowel #3 /e/. The second element moves in
the direction of vowel #2 /ɪ/, but it is hardly
reached.
• Description: For the first element a part of
the tongue behind the front is raised above
the open position, and for the second
element, the glide moves in the direction of
vowel # 2, /ɪ/. The lips change from
neutrally open to loosely spread.
• Spelling:
i: mine /mɑɪn/
y: my /mɑɪ/
/ɑɪ/
igh: high /hɑɪ/
eigh: height / hɑɪt/
ie: lie /lɑɪ/
ye: bye /bɑɪ/
ei: either /ɑɪðə/
ai: aisle /ɑɪl/
• Exceptions:
eye /ɑɪ/
buy /bɑɪ/
 PHONETICS I – UNIT 3: DIPHTHONGS: DESCRIPTION

• Advice: The first element is similar to vowel

# 4 /æ/. We lower the lower jaw. The second
element moves in the direction of vowel #2
/ɪ/, but it is hardly reached.
• Description: For the first element the back
of the tongue is raised below the half open
position, and for the second element, the
glide moves in the direction of vowel #2 /ɪ/.
The lips change from open rounded to
loosely spread.
• Spelling:
/ɔɪ/ oi: boil /bɔɪl/, coin /kɔɪn/
oy: boy /bɔɪ/
• Exceptions: -
• Advice: The first element is between vowels
#6 /ɒ/ and #7 /ɔ:/. It is closer than vowel #6
/ɒ/, but more open than vowel #7 /ɔ:/. The
second element moves in the direction of
vowel #2 /ɪ/, but it is hardly reached.
• Description: For the first element a part of
the tongue advanced of back is raised
above the open position, and for the
second element, the glide moves in the
direction of vowel #8 /ʊ/. The lips change
from neutrally open to loosely rounded.
• Spelling:
/ɑʊ/
ou: house /hɑʊs/, sound /sɑʊnd/
ow: how /hɑʊ/, now /nɑʊ/
• Exceptions: -
• Advice: The first element is similar to vowel
#5 /ɑ:/. We lower the back of the tongue.
The second element moves in the direction
of vowel #8 /ʊ/, but it is hardly reached.
 PHONETICS I – UNIT 3: DIPHTHONGS: DESCRIPTION

• Description: For the first element the center

of the tongue is raised between the half
open and the half close positions, and for
the second element, the glide moves in the
direction of vowel #8 /ʊ/. The lips change
from neutrally spread to loosely rounded.
• Spelling:
o: no /nəʊ/, so /səʊ/
oa: coat /kəʊt/, boat /bəʊt/
oe: toe /təʊ/
ou: though /ðəʊ/,
ow: know /nəʊ/
/əʊ/
• Exceptions:
mauve /məʊv/
brooch /brəʊtʃ/
sew /səʊ/
don’t /dəʊnt/, won’t /wəʊnt/
• Advice: In British English, the first element
is schwa /ə/. We spread the lips a little bit.
The second element moves in the direction
of vowel #8 /ʊ/, but it is hardly reached.
Note: In American English, there is lip
rounding for the first element, so the
grapheme is /oʊ/.
• Description: For the first element the front
of the tongue is raised above the half open
position, and for the second element, the
glide moves in the direction of schwa /ə/.
The lips are neutrally spread.
• Spelling:
are: care /keəʳ/
air: pair /peəʳ/
/eə/
ear: pear /peəʳ/
• Exceptions:
heir /eəʳ/
there /ðeəʳ/
their /ðeəʳ/
Mary /meərɪ/
Sarah /seəʳə/
scarce /skeəʳs/
 PHONETICS I – UNIT 3: DIPHTHONGS: DESCRIPTION

where /weəʳ/
parents /peəʳənts/
• Advice: The first element is more open than
vowel #3, /e/. The second element is schwa
/ə/, but it is hardly reached.
• Description: For the first element a part of
the tongue nearer the centre than the front
is raised above the half close position, and
for the second element, the glide moves in
the direction of schwa /ə/. The lips are
loosely spread.
• Spelling:
eer: deer /dɪər/
ear: dear /dɪər/
ere: here /hɪər/
eir: weird /wɪərd/
ier: fierce /fɪərs/
ir: fakir /fəkɪər/
ea: idea /ɑɪdɪə/
eo: theory /θɪərɪ/
eu: museum /mju:zɪəm/
ia: Ian /ɪən/
/ɪə/ • Exceptions:
hero /hɪərəʊ/
year /jɪər/ or /j3:r/
• Advice: The first element is vowel #2, /ɪ/.
The second element is schwa /ə/, but it is
hardly reached.
Note: Diphthong /ɪə/ can be falling or
rising.
It is a falling diphthong when it occurs in
monosyllabic words or in accented syllables
of longer words. For example:
here /hɪər/, dear /dɪər/
interfere /ɪntərfɪər / idea /ɑɪdɪə/
It is a rising diphthong when it occurs in
unaccented syllables. For example:
Austria / ɒstrɪə/ easier /i:zɪər/
If schwa /ə/ does not come from the suffix
–er attached to a root morpheme (as in
 PHONETICS I – UNIT 3: DIPHTHONGS: DESCRIPTION

easier – from easy), diphthong /ɪə/ can be

replaced by /j/ when it is rising. For
example:
Australia /ɒstreɪlɪə/ or /ɒstreɪljə/
• Description: For the first element a part of
the tongue nearer the centre than the back
is raised above the half close position, and
for the second element, the glide moves in
the direction of schwa /ə/. The lips change
from loosely rounded to loosely spread.
• Spelling:
oor: poor /pʊər/
ure: sure /ʃʊər/
ur: during /djʊərɪŋ/
our: tour /tʊər/
ewer: fewer /fjʊər/
• Exceptions:
jewel /dʒʊəl/
fluent /flʊənt/
truant /trʊənt/
• Advice: The first element is vowel #8, /ʊ/.
/ʊə/ The second element is schwa /ə/, but it is
hardly reached.
Note : Diphthong /ʊə/ can be falling or
rising.
It is a falling diphthong when it occurs in
monosyllabic words or in accented syllables
of longer words. For example:
poor /pʊər/, sure /ʃʊər/
tourism /tʊərɪzm /
It is a rising diphthong when it occurs in
unaccented syllables. For example:
influence /ɪnflʊəns/
Note : In some words of a high frequency
of occurrence, diphthong /ʊə/ is
sometimes pronounced as vowel #7 /ɔ:/.
For example:
poor /pʊər/ or /pɔ:r/
sure /ʃʊər/ or /ʃɔ:r/