DiphthongsDiphthongs

Traditional Classification

DiphthongsDiphthongs Diphthongs have a prominent shift in resonance,

usually in the form of an off-glideEX: boy, how, view

There’s a change in the adjustment of the vocal tract that takes place as diphthongs are produced

Combination of 2 vowels– The initiating target is the first vowel– The terminating target is final vowel

DiphthongsDiphthongs Tension – can go:

tense to lax OR lax to lax, BUT never lax to tense

Advancement – can go:Front to front []Front to back []Back to back []Back to front []

Height – can go:mid to highlow to high

Many phoneticians regard diphthongs as a combination of a vowel and glide (e.g., [] and [])Therefore, they do not include diphthongs in their list of English sounds-dipthongs have glide features

Many phoneticians regard diphthongs as a combination of a vowel and glide (e.g., [] and [])Therefore, they do not include diphthongs in their list of English sounds-dipthongs have glide features

American English DiphthongsAmerican English Diphthongs

[] high, file [] ouch, house, brown, cow [] boy, toy [] weigh, play [] bow, go [] use, youth, cute, view, unit

American English DiphthongsAmerican English Diphthongs []

Front to front; low to high; tense to lax []

Front to back; low to high; tense to lax []

Back to front; mid to high; lax to lax []

Front to front; mid to high; tense to laxVowel [e] takes on diphthongal traits when it is pronounced as a stressed sound in words like “play”, “weigh”, “bake”*If vowel is unstressed and short in duration, use [e]

American English DiphthongsAmerican English Diphthongs []

Back to back; mid to high; tense to laxVowel [] takes on diphthongal traits when it is pronounced as a stressed sound in words like “bow”; “goat”*

[]Front to back; high to high; tense to tense

Centering DiphthongsCentering Diphthongs

Tongue glides from stable vowel toward [] [] [] [] [] []

Centering DiphthongsCentering Diphthongs []

Tongue glides from the lower high-front positionBeard, hear, steer, pier, spirit, period, year

[]Tongue glides from stable [] to []Very, berry, wear, care, pairVariations:

– []: Mary, vary, carry– []: they’re, wear, care

Centering DiphthongsCentering Diphthongs

[]Off-glide from stable, low-back [] to central vowel position []Art, heart, guard, areVariations:– []: forest, forehead, foreign (more acceptable)

Centering DiphthongsCentering Diphthongs

[] ~ []Glides from back vowel [o] or [] to central []AllophonesMorning ~ mourningHorse ~ hoarseOr ~ oar

Centering DiphthongsCentering Diphthongs

[]Glide from high back vowel [] to central []pure, sureVariations:[] and [] often substituted for []– [] ~ [] “sure”– [] ~ [] “cure”– [] ~ [] “your”