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 beginning and 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.

English

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 join

Diphthongs 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 poor

The 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 kite

Diphthongs 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 fear

Italian

Diphthongs 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 nuoto

Other combinations (including ^*) are generally considered hiatuses by grammarians; however they are often phonetically true diphthongs, such as in poetry and common speech.

French

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 Grenouille

Faroese

Diphthongs 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, ovn

Finnish

Diphthongs 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 yö

German

Diphthongs 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 Tür

Some 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'

Icelandic

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"

Portuguese

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 são

Northern Sami

The 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

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 două

Spanish

Diphthongs 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

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