Diphthongs in American English
/eɪ/
/əʊ/
/aʊ/
/aɪ/
This diphthong creates sounds similar to "eye" and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /i/, /igh/, and /y.
/eə/
/ɪə/
/ɔɪ/
/ʊə/
A diphthong is a sound chain that consists of the articulation of two vowels, one continuation of the other, without interruption and producing a smooth transition in the sound frequencies that characterize the timbres of each of the two vowels.
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “air” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /ai/, /a/, and /ea/.
Examples: lair, stair, bear, share, care, wear
Examples: crime, like, lime, why, try, ride.
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “ear” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /ee/, /ie/ and /ea/.
Examples: beer, near, pier, ear, beard, bear
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “ow!” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /ou/ and /ow/.
Examples: brown, hound, now, straw, law, saw
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “great” and is most often used with letter combinations that include /ey/, /ay/, /ai/ and /a/.
Examples: break, rain, weight, face, day, date.
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “boat” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /ow/, /oa/ and /o/.
This diphthong creates sounds similar to “sure” and most occurs with letter combinations that include
Examples: slow, moan, though, float, boat, toast
This creates sounds similar to “boy” and most often occurs with letter combinations that include /oy/ and /oi/.
Examples: oil, toy, coil, boy, point, choice.
Examples: poor, pure, texture, lure, fur, good
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