DIPHTONGS (a combination of two vowel sounds)

In English, there are two types of vowel sounds: monophthongs and diphthongs.
A monophthong is a vowel with a single sound, such as the long E sound in "meet" and the UH sound
(short U) in "rust." Monophthongs make one single vowel sound in a syllable. You do not have to change
the shape of your mouth while saying the vowel sound.
A diphthong is a more complex vowel sound. The word diphthong comes from the Latin word
"diphthongus" and the Greek word "diphthongos," meaning "having two sounds."
Diphthongs begin with one vowel sound and change to another vowel sound in the same syllable. Your
mouth position changes slightly through the vowel sound.
Diphthongs are often (but not always) made when two vowels are next to each other in the same
syllable.
Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red)
brown
fair
share
slow
guy
boy
ouch
away
eye
/e/ (Long A sound)
This diphthong is similar to the long A sound. It is pronounced as a long A sound sliding into a long E sound.
Some dialects pronounce the long A sound as one single sound (like in bake and late). Others pronounce it as
two vowel sounds. It really depends on where you live. People with southern accents (from the south part of
the United States) will stretch out the diphthong more.
Try saying these words with two vowel sounds: (the diphthong is in red)

day
say
may
away
pay
lay
play
eight

/a/
This diphthong is pronounced as a long I sound sliding into a long E sound.
Again, this sound can vary from dialect to dialect. Some dialects pronounce the long I sound in the following
words as one single sound. Some dialects pronounce the vowel sound more like the "AH" sound you would
here in "ball". Others pronounce it as two vowel sounds.
Try saying these words with two vowel sounds: (the diphthong is in red)

sky
try
fry
die
 cry
tie
why
eye
//
This diphthong is pronounced as a long O sound that quickly slides into a long E sound.
Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red)

boy
toy
annoy
enjoy
ploy
soil
foil
boil

//
This diphthong is pronounced as a long E sound sliding into an Ur sound.
Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red)

pier
hear
steer
clear
fear
deer
ear
/e/
This diphthong is pronounced as a long A sound sliding into an Ur sound.
Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red)

bear
hair
fair
stairs
pair
wear
where

/a/
This diphthong is pronounced as a short A sound sliding into an "oo" sound.
Try saying these words: (the diphthong is in red)

brown
 cow
how
frown
now
wow

/o/
This diphthong is often just pronounced as a single long O sound. As a diphthong, it has a long O
sound sliding into an "oo" sound.
Try saying these words using the two vowel sounds: (the diphthong is in red)

yellow
coat
float
though
toe
no
low
although