Diphthong comes from the Greek word diphthongos which means "having two sounds." Notice the di- for "double." So diphthongs are double vowel sounds in words like chair, fear, or pout. If two vowels in a row are the same, as in boot or beer, then it's not a diphthong.
What is an example of a diphthong?
A diphthong is a sound formed by combining two vowels in a single syllable. The sound begins as one vowel sound and moves towards another. The two most common diphthongs in the English language are the letter combination “oy”/“oi”, as in “boy” or “coin”, and “ow”/ “ou”, as in “cloud” or “cow”.
What are the 8 diphthongs with examples?
Why Wait? The Top 8 Common English Diphthong Sounds with Examples
- /aʊ/ as in “Town”
- /aɪ/ as in “Light”
- /eɪ/ as in “Play”
- /eə/ as in “Pair”
- /ɪə/ as in “Deer”
- /oʊ/ as in “Slow”
- /ɔɪ/ as in “Toy”
- /ʊə/ as in “Sure”
