Diphthong is the meeting of two vowels (Vocal Encounters) that belong to the same syllable and are pronounced in a single voice.
Some examples of diphthongs are:
- Kiss
- Cause
- Passion
- Box
- Father
- Series
- Longing
- Square
- Night
- Law
- My
The diphthong can be classified into: Ascending and Descending, Oral and Nasal.
Crescent Diphthong: when the semivowel (SV) appears before the vowel (V) in the same syllable, that is, when the second vowel is the strongest. Examples:
- Herewahriver (a-qwah-river) (u=SV, a=V)
- Linghica (lin-ghi-ça) (u=SV, i=V)
Descending Diphthong: when the vowel appears before the semivowel in the same syllable, that is, when the first vowel is the strongest. Examples:
- DHeyxa (dHey-xa) (e=V, i=SV)
- Çme (e=V, u=SV)
Oral Diphthong: when there is the meeting of two oral vowels in the same syllable. The sounds of oral vowels are pronounced exclusively through the mouth (a, é, ê, i, ó, ô, u). Examples:
- ofHeys
- minHeyros (mi-nHey-ros)
Nasal Diphthong: when, in the same syllable, there is a junction of two nasal vowels or a nasal and an oral vowel. The nasal vowels, when pronounced, let the sounds pass through the nose as well. Examples:
- ballto the (ba-lto the)
- mmother
Hiatus and Tritongo
In syllable division, when two vowels are in sequence, but in different syllables, we have a gap. Example: wheezing (chi-The-of).
Learn more about the meaning of Gap.
When three vowels are part of the same syllable, we have a triphthong. Example: Uruguay (U-ru-gWow).
Find out more about the meaning of Triphthong.