Diphthongs

The previous class we saw what diphthongs are. By then we all knew what a monothong is (the sound of the simple vowels). Diphthongs, on the other hand, are sounds made by a combination of these solo vowels. We learned the eight diphthongs that exist in the English Language, which are:

/eɪ/ as in say,

/əʊ/ as in phone,

/aɪ/ as in tie,

/aʊ/ as in cow,

/ɔɪ/ as in boy,

/ɪə/ as in pier,

/eə/ as in hair

/ʊə/ as in tour.

Click here to have a clearer idea how they sound.

A dipthong is represented, as seen above, with a combination of the vowels that are involved in producing the sound. Diphthongs may be difficult for us as second language learners because the way they are pronounced involves a sudden change in the position of the tongue and a change in the shape of the mouth. So in order to have a better pronunciation of the language we have to practice them so our muscles become use to the movement we make when we pronounce them. Here you will find how our mouth, lips and tongue are when we produce these sounds, also the different ways to pronounce them, in a British accent or in American.