DIPHTHONGS

Also called gliding vowelsA significant glide from one articulatory position to anotherThey have two target configurations represented by two vowel symbols joined together we will have to specify both targets in terms of the part of the tongue which is raised and in terms of the degree of tongue raising.

the two targets (two elements of the diphthong) are rarely fully realised both – most often, the second target is just aimed at

diphthongs are conventionally represented in the vowel diagram by specifying the relative position of the first target element and drawing an arrow which just points in the direction of the second target element

Sometimes the first and the second element of a diphthong will differ with respect to their characteristic lip position.

Length, however, is not a distinctive feature when diphthongs are concerned, because all the eight of them belong to the set of long vowels.

a diphthong is a single vowel segment, recognized as such by the native speakers, and distinguished from a sequence of two monophthongs.

There are two sub-sets of diphthongs in English, distinguished by the nature of their second target, that is, by the direction in which the glide is made.

closing diphthongs (5)-the glide is made from a more open to a more close position

centring diphthongs (3)- the glide is made from a more peripheral to a more central position

Closing diphthongs / aɪ /

The articulators assume the first target position by raising the rather front part of the tongue to a very open position, keeping the lips in a neutral position.

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position.

The first element of the diphthong /aɪ/ is not similar to any of the English monophthong phonemes.

/ aɪ /DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue FrontDegree of raising OpenLip position NeutralGLIDE TO : Part of the tongue Front to centralDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Very slightly spread or neutralSPELLING PATTERNS: i kind y spy ye dye

ie die ei either eye eye eigh height igh high

Phoneme /eɪ/ The articulators assume the first

target position by raising the front part of the tongue to a position between open-mid and close-mid with the lips in a slightly spread position

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position.

/eɪ/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue FrontDegree of raising Open-mid to close-midLip position Slightly spreadGLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Front to centralDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Slightly spread

SPELLING PATTERNS: a take ay clay ai main ea break ei reign ey they

Phoneme /ɔɪ/

The articulators assume the first target position by raising the back part of the tongue to a position around the open-mid level (somewhere between /ɔ:/ and /ɒ/)

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position.

/ɔɪ/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue BackDegree of raising Open-mid (to close-mid)Lip position Slightly rounded GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Front to centralDegree of raising Close-midLip position NeutralSPELLING PATTERNS oy toy oi voice

Phoneme /ɑʊ/ The articulators assume the first

target position by raising the back (to central) part of the tongue to a very open position (similar to that of /ɑː/ )

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the back to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position. The position of the lips is changed from neutral to slightly rounded.

/ɑʊ/ instead of /aʊ/

/ɑʊ/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue Back (to central)Degree of raising OpenLip position NeutralGLIDE TO: Part of the tongue BackDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Very slightly roundedSPELLING PATTERNS ow now, brown ou

round, bound

Phoneme /əʊ/

The articulators assume the first target position by raising the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid. (this is the are of the long schwa /ɜː/, but the symbol of the short schwa is used)

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the back to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position. The position of the lips is changed from neutral to slightly rounded.

/əʊ/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue CentralDegree of raising Open-mid to close-midLip position NeutralGLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Back to centralDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Slightly rounded

SPELLING PATTERNS: o no, go, alone oa load, goat ow know, bowl ou soul oe toe

Centring diphthongsPhoneme /ɪə/

The articulators assume the first target position; the front- to-central part of the tongue is raised to the close-mid position, and the lips are only slightly spread, almost neutral.

A glide is made towards the second target, by lowering the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid (roughly, the area of schwa), with the lips neutrally open.

Centering diphthongs

/ɪə/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue Front to centralDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Very slightly spreadGLIDE TO: Part of the tongue CentralDegree of raising Open-mid to close-midLip position Neutral

SPELLING PATTERNS: ee, ea, ei, ie + r beer, snear, weird, pier ere here

Phoneme /ʊə/ The articulators assume the first target

position by raising the back to central part of the tongue to the close-mid position, with the lips only slightly rounded, almost neutral.

A glide is made towards the second target, by lowering the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid (roughly, the area of schwa), with the lips neutrally open.

/ʊə/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue Back to centralDegree of raising Above close-midLip position Very slightly rounded GLIDE TO : Part of the tongue CentralDegree of raising Open-mid to close-midLip position Neutral

SPELLING PATTERNS oo, ou, u + r poor, tour, during ure pure

Phoneme /ɛə/

The articulators assume the first target position by raising the front part of the tongue to the open-mid position, with neutral lips.

A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the central part of the tongue to a position equally open (open-mid) as that of the first target. The lips remain neutral, too.

/ɛə/DISTINCTIVE FEATURESType of articulation VowelManner of articulation DiphthongFIRST TARGET:Part of the tongue FrontDegree of raising Open to open-midLip position NeutralGLIDE TO : Part of the tongue Front to centralDegree of raising Below open-midLip position Very slightly spread or neutral

SPELLING PATTERNS: are hare air hair ear bear

NB also there, their, heir

fire /faɪə/ and hour /ɑʊə/ vs. higher /haɪə/ and player /pleɪə/.

the second pair obviously contains a diphthong followed by a schwa (after all, the schwa belongs to a separate morpheme: high+er, play+er )

native speakers feel that fire /faɪə/ and hour /ɑʊə/ contain one vowel, a so-called thripthong