diphthong

Language

2022

We explain what a diphthong is, the types that exist and examples of words with diphthong. Also, what are tripthong and hiatus.

The letter h in the middle of the vowels does not prevent the diphthong from occurring.

What is a diphthong?

The diphthong is the combination of two contiguous vowels in the same syllable within a word. Diphthongs arise from the combination between:

  • Two closed or weak vowels (they are i and u). For example: triumph.
  • A closed vowel and an open vowel (they are a, e and o) or vice versa. For example: queen, fee.

It should be mentioned that two open vowels do not make up a diphthong, but are separated into syllables and form another phenomenon called hiatus, which is the separation of two contiguous vowels within a word.

The letterh in the middle of the vowels it does not prevent the diphthong from occurring. It is also possible to form diphthong with the letterY by its vowel sound.

See also:Accent

Combinations that produce diphthong

There are 14 combinations of vowels that produce diphthong, these are:

Two closed vowels.

  • UI. For example: widow, city, native.
  • UI. For example: judgment, noise, caring.

A closed vowel and an open vowel.

  • IA. For example: old man, towards.
  • IE. For example: fear, earth andtiempo.
  • IO. For example: start, boyfriend, tweet
  • UA. For example: monthly, gentle, aquarium.
  • EU. For example: I smell, well, bone.
  • UO. For example: individual, residue, monster.

An open vowel and a closed vowel.

  • AI. For example: dance, landscape, air.
  • AU. For example: aurora, car, Laura.
  • EI. For example: twenty, oil, lawsuit.
  • EU. For example: feud, euphoria, debt.
  • I HEARD. For example: hear, bribe, beret.
  • OU. For example: American, Lourdes.

Diphthong types

There are three types of diphthongs that are classified according to the order of the vowels in the syllable:

  • Growing. Closed vowel + open vowel. For example: well.
  • Decreasing. Open vowel + closed vowel. For example: landscape or vanilla.
  • Homogeneous. Closed vowel + closed vowel. For example: care or widow.

Words with diphthongs

open functional irrigation
Grandma guitar rosary beads
agreement history noise
godson iguana to select
smoked judgment sexual
bet June feel
bold clean up gentle
welcome rain I usually
change memory dream
conditional tooth Thunder
copy I bite vice
when our glass
story new wind
cost may l purple
share pig I come back
poll Queen carrot
fire gather clog

Tripthong

The tripthong occurs when there are three vowels in the same syllable: two closed vowels (i, u) and one open (a, e, o) organized according to the following order: closed vowel + open vowel + closed vowel. For example: you study, Uruguay (the y works as i).

For a tripthong to exist, none of the closed vowels must be tonic.

The vowels of triphthongs are pronounced together, as a single syllable or sound unit, and cannot be separated, operating under the same conditions as a diphthong.

More in:Triphthong

Hiatus

The hiatus is the sequence of two consecutive vowels, but they are in different syllables. It is the opposite of the diphthong. For example: laugh, zoo, read.

A hiatus can be:

  • Common hiatus. Open vowel + open vowel / closed vowel + closed vowel. For example: theater, Shiite.
  • Accentual hiatus. Open vowel + closed vowel (stressed) / closed vowel (stressed) + open vowel. For example: ate, country.
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