Diphthong
In
phonetics, a
diphthong (
Greek δίφθογγος, "diphthongos", literally "with two sounds," or "with two tones") is a
vowel combination in a single
syllable involving a
quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another, often interpreted by listeners as a single vowel sound or
phoneme.While "pure" vowels, or
monophthongs, are said to have one target tongue position, diphthongs have two target tongue positions.Pure vowels are represented in the
International Phonetic Alphabet by one symbol:English "sum" as , for example.Diphthongs are represented by two symbols, for example English "same" as ,where the two vowel symbols are intended to represent approximately the beginningand ending tongue positions.
Falling diphthongs start with a vowel of higher sonority and end in a vowel with less sonority, e.g., , while
rising diphthongs begin with a vowel with less sonority and end with a vowel of higher sonority, e.g., . The element with less sonority in the diphthong may be transcribed as
semivowel. However, when the whole diphthong is analysed as being one single
phoneme, both elements are often transcribed as vowels. Note also that in languages like English and Italian, rising diphthongs are considered not true diphthongs by many
phoneticians, but sequences of a
semivowel and a
vowel.
In
closing diphthongs, the second element is
closer than the first; in
opening diphthongs, more
opened. A
centering diphthong is one that begins with a more peripheral vowel and ends with a more central one, such as , , and in
Received Pronunciation or and in
Irish.
Some languages contrast
short and
long diphthongs, the latter usually being described as having a long first element. Languages that contrast three quantities in diphthongs are extremely rare, but not unheard of:
Northern Sami is known to contrast
long,
short and
finally stressed diphthongs, the last of which are distinguished by a long second element.
Diphthongs in the
General American accent of
English:
* as in
house* as in
kite* as in
same* as in
few (This is
phonemically analyzed as a sequence of a
semivowel and a monophthong.)
* as in
tone* as in
joinDiphthongs in the
Received Pronunciation of
British English:
* as in
hope* as in
house* as in
kite* as in
same* as in
few (This is phonemically analyzed as a sequence of a semivowel and a monophthong.)
* as in
join* as in
fear* as in
hair (In modern pronunciation this is usually the long vowel .)
* as in
poorThe latter three diphthongs also occur in the
Boston accent.
(see
International Phonetic Alphabet for English for more)
Allophones of the diphthongs and in
Canadian English (See
Canadian raising:
* as in
house* as in
kiteDiphthongs in
Australian English phonology:
* as in
hope* as in
house* as in
kite* as in
same* as in
few (This is phonemically analyzed as a sequence of a semivowel and a monophthong.)
* as in
join* as in
fearDiphthongs in standard
Italian:
falling
* as in avrai
* as in dei (preposition)
* as in direi
* as in voi
* as in poi
* as in pausa
* as in Europa
* as in feudo;rising
* as in
piano* as in
schietto* as in
piede * as in
fiore * as in
piove * as in
più* as in
guado* as in
quello* as in
guerra* as in
qui* as in
tuorlo* as in
nuotoOther combinations (including [ui], [iu], [ii]) are generally considered
hiatuses by
grammarians; however they are often phonetically true diphthongs, such as in
poetry and common speech.
Some diphthongs in
French:
* as in
roi* as in
oui* as in
huit* as in
bien* as in
Ariège* as in
Travail* as in
Marseille* as in
Feuille* as in
GrenouilleDiphthongs in
Faroese are:
* as in
bein (can also be short)
* as in
havn* as in
har,
mær* as in
hey* as in
nevnd* as in
nøvn* as in
hús* as in
mín,
bý,
ið (can also be short)
* as in
ráð* as in
hoyra (can also be short)
* as in
sól,
ovnDiphthongs in
Dutch* as in
eikel,
ijs * as in
koude* as in
huisDiphthongs in
Finnish* as in
laiva* as in
keinu* as in
poika* as in
uida* as in
lyijy* as in
äiti* as in
öisin* as in
lauha* as in
leuto* as in
viulu* as in
koulu* as in
leyhyä* as in
siistiytyä* as in
täysi* as in
löytää* as in
kieli* as in
suo* as in
yöDiphthongs in
German:
* as in
Reich * as in
Maus* as in
neu* as in
der * as in
dir* as in
Bor* as in
Fördern* as in
nur* as in
TürSome diphthongs in
Bernese, a
Swiss German dialect:
* as in
Bier 'beer'
* as in
Füess 'feet'
* as in
Schue 'shoes'
* as in
Stou 'holdup'
* as in
Stau 'stable'
* as in
Staau 'steel'
* as in
Wäut 'world'
* as in
wääut 'elects'
* as in
tschúud 'guilty'
Diphthongs in
Icelandic are the following:
* as in
já, "yes"
* as in
vél, "machine"
* as in
nóg, "enough"
* as in
auga, "eye"
* as in
hæ, "hi"
* as in
þeir, "they"
Falling diphthongs with or as their weaker vowel are frequent in Portuguese. Rising diphthongs with , , or as their weaker vowel occur less often, and are normally analysed as hiatuses. The difference between a rising diphthong and a
hiatus is not phonemic; the former are usually found in colloquial speech, and the latter in careful pronunciation. Triphthongs and longer sequences of vowels also occur, but they can be analysed as sequences of vowels and diphthongs. Just like the monophthonghs, diphthongs are divided into two subgroups: oral diphthongs and nasal diphthongs.
Diphthongs in
Portuguese:
oral
* as in pai
* as in peito
* as in papéis (Brazil)
* as in coisa
* as in mói
* as in fui
* as in mau
* as in seu
* as in céu
* as in viu
* as in roupa (parts of Brazil and northern Portugal);nasal
* as in
mãe* as in
bem* as in
põe* as in
muita* as in
sãoThe diphthong system in
Northern Sami varies considerably from one dialect to another. The Western Finnmark dialects distinguish four different qualities of opening diphthongs:
* as in
leat "to be"
* as in
giella "language"
* as in
boahtit "to come"
* as in
vuodjat "to swim"
In terms of quantity, Northern Sami shows a three-way contrast between
long,
short and
finally stressed diphthongs. The last are distinguished from long and short diphthongs by a markedly long and stressed second component. Diphthong quantity is not indicated in spelling.
Romanian builds its descending diphthongs using two semivowels and its ascending diphthongs using four. See also
Romanian phonology.
falling
* as in mai
* as in dau
* as in lei
* as in leu
* as in mii (no vocalic glide, but still a diphthong)
* as in fiu
* as in goi
* as in nou
* as in pui
* as in răi
* as in rău
* as in câine
* as in râu;rising
* as in
stea* as in
George* as in
ziar* as in
fier* as in
chior* as in
iubit* as in
oameni* as in
ziua* as in
douăDiphthongs in
Spanish:
falling
* as in hay
* as in rey
* as in hoy
* as in muy
* as in jaula
* as in feudo;rising
* as in
comedia* as in
tierra* as in
dio* as in
ciudad* as in
guante* as in
fuego* as in
pingüino* as in
ambiguo*
List of phonetics topics*
Triphthong*
Hiatus
