diphthong
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
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English [edit]
Etymology [edit]
French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (diphthongos, “two sounds”), from δίς (dis, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthongos, “sound”).
Pronunciation [edit]
- (UK) IPA: /ˈdɪfθɒŋ(g)/, /ˈdɪpθɒŋ(g)/
- (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 [edit]
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 [edit]
Related terms [edit]
Translations [edit]
complex vowel sound
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