diphthong is a vowel encountercharacterized by the union between a semivowel and a vowel or vice versa. the diphthong can be growing (semivowel + vowel) or decreasing (vowel + semivowel).
In addition to the diphthong, there are two other vowel clusters, that is, the tritongo (semivowel + vowel + semivowel) and the hiatus (vowel + vowel).
Read too: Assonance - figure of speech consisting of the repetition of vowel sounds
What is a diphthong?
Ditongo is a vowel encounter, characterized by the union between a vowel and a semi-vowel or between a semi-vowel and a vowel. Therefore, both the word “victory” (“i” is a semivowel, and “a” is a vowel) and the word “kick” (“o” is a vowel, and “i” is a semivowel) have a diphthong.
Diphthong Types
crescent diphthong
It's the meeting of a semivowel with a vowel, in that order. Consequently, they present this type of diphthong, for example, the following words:
- historywas going
- memorywas going
- to beyo
- to beie
- youwow
- limestoneyo
- mingwowbefore
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descending diphthong
It's the meeting of a vowel with a semivowel, in that order. Thus, the following words, for example, present this type of diphthong:
- eight
- circuit
- cocoa
- builds
- clothing
- cookie
- defendant
See too: What is it and how is the consonant cluster classified?
Diphthong, tritongo and hiatus
There are three types of vowel encounters:
Diphthong
Triphthong
Gap
As we have seen, the diphthong is the meeting, in the same syllable, of a vowel with a semivowel or vice versa. Examples: rHey, çorsee, sityo.
already the triphthong is the name given to the sequence, in the same syllable, of a semivowel, one vowel and another semivowel, in that order. In this way, it is possible to identify the triphthong in these words: UrugWow, find outwhoa, IGwhatssaghuh.
Lastly, when two vowels meet, we have a hiatus. But beware! According to the rules of syllabic division, there cannot be two vowels in the same syllable. Therefore, this meeting takes place between different syllables: output (sa-í-da), Saara (Sa-a-ra), cruelty (cru-el-da-de), pond (la-go-a) etc.
solved exercises
question 1 – (Unimontes)
"The letters with which we represent the diphthongs are not separated [...]."
CUNHA, Celso Ferreira da. Portuguese language grammar. 2. ed. P. 79.
Based on the lesson above, DO NOT separate the underlined letters in the word syllable
A) poetry.
B) decided.
C) prohibited.
D) moon.
Resolution
Alternative B. The word “decided” has a growing diphthong. Therefore, the syllabic separation of this word is “de-ci-diu”.
question 2 – Mark the alternative that has a descending diphthong.
The health
B) Queen
C) Month
D) Blessing
E) Mary
Resolution
Alternative D. The word "blessing" is paroxytone ending in a descending diphthong, that is, "ao".
question 3 – Mark the alternative that has an increasing diphthong.
A) College
B) Cooperation
C) Visual
D) seasick
E) appeased
Resolution
Alternative A. The word “college” is paroxytone ending in crescent diphthong, that is, “io”.
by Warley Souza
Portuguese teacher
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Warley. "Diphthong"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/gramatica/ditongo.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
