Diphthong Definition
diphthong
WOTD - 17 September 2006
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English
Wikipedia has an article on: DiphthongEtymology
French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (diphthongos, “two sounds”), from δίς (dis, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthongos, “sound”).
Pronunciation
- (UK) IPA: /ˈdɪfθɒŋ/, /ˈdɪpθɒŋ/
- (US) IPA: /ˈdɪfθɔŋ/, /ˈdɪpθɔŋ/
- (CA; US, in accents with the cot-caught merger) IPA: /ˈdɪfθɑŋ/, /ˈdɪpθɑŋ/
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Audio (CA) (file) -
Audio (US) (file)
Noun
diphthong (plural diphthongs)
- (phonetics) A complex vowel sound that begins with the sound of one vowel and ends with the sound of another vowel, in the same syllable.
- For example: "ae", "au", "ou"
- (rare) A vowel digraph or ligature.
- 1854, Robert Bigsby, Historical and Topographical Description of Repton, in the County of Derby, Woodfall and Kinder, page 47:
- And he might have written the name, also, with the diphthong æ, as well as the single vowel, in the initial syllable, throughout all the preceding forms.
- 1860, Joseph E. Worcester, An Elementary Dictionary of the English Language, A New Edition, Swan, Brewer, and Tileston (publishers), page 12:
- An improper diphthong has only one of the vowels sounded; as, ea in heat, oa in coal.
- 1874, Theophilus Dwight Hall, A Child’s First Latin Book, John Murray (publisher), page 3:
- The diphthong ae is sounded like ē (§7); that is, it has the sound of ey in they.
- 1854, Robert Bigsby, Historical and Topographical Description of Repton, in the County of Derby, Woodfall and Kinder, page 47:
Derived terms
Related terms
See also
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Diphthong That s what the poor girl muttered in the photo above before burying her head in her hands The girl was bright and very animated in her gestures and responses on stage She drew
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