DIPHTHONGS Also called gliding vowels A significant glide from one articulatory position to another They have two target configurations represented by two vowel symbols joined together we will have to specify both targets in terms of the part of the tongue which is raised and in terms of the degree of tongue raising.

the two targets (two elements of the diphthong) are rarely fully realised both – most often, the second target is just aimed at diphthongs are conventionally represented in the vowel diagram by specifying the relative position of the first target element and drawing an arrow which just points in the direction of the second target element

Sometimes the first and the second element of a diphthong will differ with respect to their characteristic lip position. Length, however, is not a distinctive feature when diphthongs are concerned, because all the eight of them belong to the set of long vowels. a diphthong is a single vowel segment, recognized as such by the native speakers, and distinguished from a sequence of two monophthongs.

There are two sub-sets of diphthongs in English, distinguished by the nature of their second target, that is, by the direction in which the glide is made. closing diphthongs (5)-the glide is made from a more open to a more close position centring diphthongs (3)- the glide is made from a more peripheral to a more central position

Closing diphthongs / a ɪ / The articulators assume the first target position by raising the rather front part of the tongue to a very open position, keeping the lips in a neutral position. A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position. The first element of the diphthong /a ɪ / is not similar to any of the English monophthong phonemes.

/ a ɪ / DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Front Degree of raising Open Lip positionNeutral GLIDE TO : Part of the tongue Front to central Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionVery slightly spread or neutral SPELLING PATTERNS: i kind y spy ye dye ie die ei either eye eye eigh height igh high

Phoneme /e ɪ / The articulators assume the first target position by raising the front part of the tongue to a position between open-mid and close-mid with the lips in a slightly spread position A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position.

/e ɪ / DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Front Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid Lip positionSlightly spread GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Front to central Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionSlightly spread SPELLING PATTERNS: a take ay clay ai main ea break ei reign ey they

Phoneme / ɔɪ / The articulators assume the first target position by raising the back part of the tongue to a position around the open-mid level (somewhere between / ɔ :/ and / ɒ /) A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the front to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position.

/ ɔɪ / DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Back Degree of raising Open-mid (to close-mid) Lip positionSlightly rounded GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Front to central Degree of raising Close-mid Lip positionNeutral SPELLING PATTERNSoy toy oi voice

Phoneme / ɑʊ / The articulators assume the first target position by raising the back (to central) part of the tongue to a very open position (similar to that of / ɑː / ) A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the back to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position. The position of the lips is changed from neutral to slightly rounded. / ɑʊ / instead of /a ʊ /

/ ɑʊ / DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Back (to central) Degree of raising Open Lip positionNeutral GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Back Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionVery slightly rounded SPELLING PATTERNSow now, brown ou round, bound

Phoneme /ə ʊ / The articulators assume the first target position by raising the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid. (this is the are of the long schwa / ɜː /, but the symbol of the short schwa is used) A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the back to central part of the tongue towards the close-mid position. The position of the lips is changed from neutral to slightly rounded.

/ə ʊ / DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Central Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid Lip positionNeutral GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Back to central Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionSlightly rounded SPELLING PATTERNS: o no, go, alone oa load, goat ow know, bowl ou soul oe toe

Centring diphthongs Phoneme / ɪ ə/ The articulators assume the first target position; the front- to-central part of the tongue is raised to the close-mid position, and the lips are only slightly spread, almost neutral. A glide is made towards the second target, by lowering the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid (roughly, the area of schwa), with the lips neutrally open.

Centering diphthongs / ɪ ə/ DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Front to central Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionVery slightly spread GLIDE TO: Part of the tongue Central Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid Lip positionNeutral SPELLING PATTERNS: ee, ea, ei, ie + r beer, snear, weird, pier ere here

Phoneme / ʊ ə/ The articulators assume the first target position by raising the back to central part of the tongue to the close-mid position, with the lips only slightly rounded, almost neutral. A glide is made towards the second target, by lowering the central part of the tongue to position between open-mid and close-mid (roughly, the area of schwa), with the lips neutrally open.

/ ʊ ə/ DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Back to central Degree of raising Above close-mid Lip positionVery slightly rounded GLIDE TO : Part of the tongue Central Degree of raising Open-mid to close-mid Lip positionNeutral SPELLING PATTERNSoo, ou, u + r poor, tour, during ure pure

Phoneme / ɛ ə/ The articulators assume the first target position by raising the front part of the tongue to the open-mid position, with neutral lips. A glide is made towards the second target, by raising the central part of the tongue to a position equally open (open-mid) as that of the first target. The lips remain neutral, too.

/ ɛ ə/ DISTINCTIVE FEATURES Type of articulationVowel Manner of articulationDiphthong FIRST TARGET: Part of the tongue Front Degree of raising Open to open-mid Lip positionNeutral GLIDE TO : Part of the tongue Front to central Degree of raising Below open-mid Lip positionVery slightly spread or neutral SPELLING PATTERNS: are hare air hair ear bear NB also there, their, heir

fire /fa ɪ ə/ and hour / ɑʊ ə/ vs. higher /ha ɪ ə/ and player /ple ɪ ə/. the second pair obviously contains a diphthong followed by a schwa (after all, the schwa belongs to a separate morpheme: high+er, play+er ) native speakers feel that fire /fa ɪ ə/ and hour / ɑʊ ə/ contain one vowel, a so-called thripthong