1

Diphthongs

/eI/
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, /I/. The lips are spread.
Spelling:
a: tame /teIm/, late /leIt/
ai: main /meIn/
ay: may /meI/
ei: eight /eIt/
ey: they /ðeI/
ea: great /greIt/
Exceptions:
halfpenny /heIpnI/
gauge /geI /
gaol = jail / eIl/
Advice:
The first element is closer than vowel # 3 /e/. The second element
moves in the direction of vowel # 2 /I/, but it is hardly reached.

/aI/
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, /I/. The lips change from neutrally open to
loosely spread.
Spelling:
i: mine /maIn/
y: my /maI/
igh: high /haI/
eigh: height / haIt/
ie: lie /laI/
ye: bye /baI/
ei: either /aIð /
ai: aisle /aIl/
Exceptions:
eye /aI/
buy /baI/
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 /I/, but it is
hardly reached.

/ I/
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, /I/. The lips change from open rounded to loosely
spread.
Spelling:
oi: boil /b Il/, coin /k In/
oy: boy /b I/
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Advice:
The first element is between vowels # 6 / / and 7 / :/. It is closer than
vowel # 6 / /, but more open than vowel # 7 / :/. The second element
moves in the direction of vowel # 2 /I/, but it is hardly reached.

/a/ 
   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 //. The lips change from neutrally open to
loosely rounded.
Spelling:
ou: house /has/, sound /sand/
ow: how /ha/, now /na/
Advice:
The first element is similar to vowel # 5 /a:/. We lower the back of the
tongue. The second element moves in the direction of vowel # 8 //, but
it is hardly reached.

/ /
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 //. The lips change from neutrally
spread to loosely rounded.
Spelling:
o: no /n /, so /s /
oa: coat /k t/, boat /b t/
oe: toe /t /
ou: though /ð /,
ow: know /n /
Exceptions:
mauve /m v/
brooch /br  /
sew /s /
don’t /d nt/, won’t /w nt/
Advice:
In British English, the first element is schwa / /. We spread the lips a
little bit. The second element moves in the direction of vowel # 8 //, but
it is hardly reached.
Note:
In American English, there is lip rounding for the first element, so the
grapheme is /o.

/e /
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 / /. The lips are neutrally spread.
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Spelling:
are: care /ke r/
air: pair /pe r/
ear: pear /pe r/
Exceptions:
heir /e r/
there /e r/
their /e r/
Mary /me rI/
Sarah /se r /
scarce /ske rs/
where /we r/
parents /pe r nts/
Advice:
The first element is more open than vowel # 3, /e/. The second element
is schwa / /, but it is hardly reached.

/I /
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 / /. The lips are loosely
spread.
Spelling:
eer: deer /dI r/
ear: dear /dI r/
ere: here /hI r/
eir: weird /wI rd/
ier: fierce /fI rs/
ir: fakir /f kI r/
ea: idea /aIdI /
eo: theory / I rI/
eu: museum /mju:zI m/
ia: Ian /I n/
Exceptions:
hero /hI r /
year /jI r/ or /j3:r/
Advice:
The first element is vowel # 2, /I/. The second element is schwa / /, but
it is hardly reached.
Note:
Diphthong /I / can be falling or rising.
It is a falling diphthong when it occurs in monosyllabic words or in
accented syllables of longer words.
e.g.
here /hI r/, dear /dI r/
interfere /Int rfI r / idea /aIdI /
It is a rising diphthong when it occurs in unaccented syllables.
e.g.
Austria / strI / easier /i:zI r/
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If schwa / / does not come from the suffix –er attached to a root
morpheme (as in easier – from easy), diphthong /I / can be replaced by
/j / when it is rising.
e.g.
Australia / streIlI / or / streIlj /

/ /
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 / /. The lips change
from loosely rounded to loosely spread.
Spelling:
oor: poor /p r/
ure: sure /  r/
ur: during /dj rI /
our: tour /t r/
ewer: fewer /fj r/
Exceptions:
jewel /  l/
fluent /fl nt/
truant /tr nt/
Advice:
The first element is vowel # 8, //. The second element is schwa / /, but
it is hardly reached.
Note:
Diphthong / / can be falling or rising.
It is a falling diphthong when it occurs in monosyllabic words or in
accented syllables of longer words.
e.g.
poor /p r/, sure /  r/
tourism /t rIzm /
It is a rising diphthong when it occurs in unaccented syllables.
e.g.
influence /Infl ns/
Note:
In some words of a high frequency of occurrence, diphthong /  / is
sometimes pronounced as vowel # 7 / :/
e.g.
poor /p r/ or /p :r/,
sure /  r/ or / :r/