Diphthongs
Diphthongs
A Diphthong (pronounced as /ˈdɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdɪpθɒŋ/) is a complex speech sound or glide that starts with one vowel and gradually changes to another vowel within the same syllable. The term originated from the Greek word "diphthongos" which means "having two sounds."
Etymology
The term Diphthong comes from the Greek word "diphthongos" which translates to "having two sounds." It is a combination of "di-" meaning "two" and "phthongos" meaning "sound."
Types of Diphthongs
There are two types of diphthongs: Closing Diphthongs and Centering Diphthongs.
- Closing Diphthongs are combinations where the second element is more close than the first (e.g., /ai/ in English "I").
- Centering Diphthongs are combinations where the second element is the schwa /ə/ (e.g., /eə/ in English "air").
Related Terms
- Monophthong: A pure vowel sound, one whose articulatory configuration remains relatively constant throughout the duration of the vowel.
- Triphthong: A complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel and moves to another and then to another—all within the same syllable.
- Semivowel: A sound, such as English /w/ and /y/, that is phonetically similar to a vowel sound but functions as the syllable boundary rather than as the nucleus of a syllable.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Diphthongs
- Wikipedia's article - Diphthongs
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski