2. What is a diphthong? Diphthong is a vowel sound in which the
tongue changes position to produce the sound of two vowels.
(Cambridge Advanced Learners Dictionary) Diphthong is a single
sound produced when two vowels (one dominant in duration and
stress, and one reduced in duration and stress), are paired
together in a sequence. (Linda I. House: Introductory Phonetics and
Phonology).
3. There are eight diphthongs commonly used in English. They
are: /e/, /a/, //, /a/, //, //, /e/, and //.
4. It is important to note that the close combination of the
two vowels causes each of the vowels to lose its pure quality. For
instance, the // in [a] is quite different from the // in [t]. In
phonological patterns, diphthongs are labeled using a single V (not
V V) because they act as one sound. Although diphthongs are
considered as the combination of two vowels, never put the length
marker () when combine and transcribe them in phonetic
symbols.
5. PRESENTATION FORMAT: Diphthongs : The First Vowels: The
Second Vowels: Closeness: Frontness: Rounding: Closeness:
Frontness: Rounding: [e] open-mid front unrounded near-close
near-front unrounded [a] open back unrounded near-close near-front
unrounded [] mid central unrounded near-close near-back rounded [a]
open back unrounded near-close near-back rounded [] open-mid back
rounded near-close near-front unrounded [] near-close near-front
unrounded mid central unrounded [e] open-mid front unrounded mid
central unrounded [] near-close near-back rounded mid central
unrounded
6. Because diphthongs are composed of vowels, they are also
described using the parameters of closeness (height), frontness,
and rounding. The parameters are listed using vowel closeness
(height), frontness, and rounding of the first vowel and then
followed by the second vowel. Thus, to make a sound parameter of
/e/ for example, we can describe it as: /e/ is an open-mid, front,
unrounded vowel moving to near-close, near-front, unrounded vowel
.
7. The Phonetic Transcriptions of the English Diphthongs in
Words: Diphthong: Word: Phonetic Transcription: [e] pay /pe/ [a]
five /fav/ [] home /hm/ [a] now /na/ [] join /dn/ [] near /n(r)/
[e] hair /he(r)/ [] pure /pj(r)/
8. /aI/ The /a/ is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while // is shorter and unstressed. Time /tam/ Fly
/fla/ Tie /ta/ (1)
9. /a/ The /a/ is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while the // is shorter and unstressed. Cow /ka/
Loud /lad/ How /ha/ (2)
10. // The // in longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while the // is shorter and unstressed. Boy /b/ Boil
/bl/ Oil /l/ (3)
11. /e/ The /e/ is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while the // is shorter and unstressed. Say /se/
Brain /bren/ Game /gem/ (4)
12. /e/ The /e/ is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while the // is shorter and unstressed. There /e(r)/
Bear /be(r)/ Share /e(r)/ (5)
13. // The // is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while // is shorter and unstressed. Here /h(r)/ Dear
/d(r)/ Gear /g(r)/ (6)
14. // The // is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while // is shorter and unstressed. Pure /pj(r)/
Purify /pjrfa/ Youre /j(r)/ (7)
15. // The // is longer in duration and forms the nucleus of
the diphthong, while // is shorter and unstressed. Toast /tst/ Coke
/kk/ Globe /glb/ (8)
16. Diphthongs can appear in the initial, medial, or final
position of words, such as in: aisle /aIl/ initial position bear
/be(r)/ medial position buy /ba/ final position To label the
combinations and the order of phonemes in a syllable or a word, the
phonological patterns are used. For examples: aisle /aIl/ = VC
(Vowel-Consonant) bear /be(r)/ = CVC (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant)
buy /ba/ = CV (Consonant-Vowel)
17. EXERCISE: Transcribe the following contrast into phonetics
and label the phonological pattern (remember the diphthong counts
as one V (vowel)). For example: night [nait] = CVC (n ai t) C V
C
18. WORD: PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION LABEL : WORD: PHONETIC
TRANSCRIPTIO N LABEL: mice ? mouse ? bye ? bout ? high ? how ? file
? fowl ? find ? found ? type ? taste ? bite ? bound ? dine ? down ?
nine ? noun ? ply ? plow ?
19. WORD: PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION LABEL : WORD: PHONETIC
TRANSCRIPTIO N LABEL: toy ? tie ? say ? brain ? boy ? buy ? voice ?
vise ? point ? pain ? oil ? aisle ? poise ? pie ? coke ? globe ?
dear ? hear ?
20. ANSWER:
21. WORD: PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION LABEL : WORD: PHONETIC
TRANSCRIPTIO N LABEL: mice [mas] CVC mouse [mas] CVC bye [ba] CV
bout [bat] CVC high [ha] CV how [ha] CV file [fal] CVC fowl [fal]
CVC find [fand] CVCC found [fand] CVCC type [tap] CVC taste [test]
CVCC bite [bat] CVC bound [band] CVCC dine [dan] CVC down [dan] CVC
nine [nan] CVC noun [nan] CVC ply [pla] CCV plow [pla] CCV
22. WORD: PHONETIC TRANSCRIPTION LABEL : WORD: PHONETIC
TRANSCRIPTIO N LABEL: toy [t] CV tie [ta] CV say [se] CV brain
[bren] CCVC boy [b] CV buy [ba] CV voice [vs] CVC vise [vas] CVC
point [pnt] CVCC pain [pen] CVC oil [l] VC aisle [al] VC poise [pz]
CVC pie [pa] CV coke [kk] CVC globe [glb] CCVC dear [d(r)] CVC hear
[h(r)] CVC