EnglishEnglish long vowels, long vowels, diphthongs, diphthongs, triphthongstriphthongs

Lecture 3Lecture 3

Long and short vowelsLong and short vowels

a

a

З:

Long vowelsLong vowels

diphthongsdiphthongsWhile the position of the tongue is While the position of the tongue is

more or less stable for a pure more or less stable for a pure vowel…vowel…

… … a diphthong is characterised by a a diphthong is characterised by a graceful movement from one point to graceful movement from one point to another, for this reason they are also another, for this reason they are also sometimes known as glides.sometimes known as glides.

This is also visible on a This is also visible on a spectrogram: this is the pure spectrogram: this is the pure

vowel /a/…vowel /a/…

……and this is the diphthong / aand this is the diphthong / aıı/. Notice /. Notice how the formants (the dark bands) how the formants (the dark bands)

sepsepaarate towards the end.rate towards the end.

diphthongsdiphthongs• Movement/glide from one vowel to anotherMovement/glide from one vowel to another• From constant/pure vowel to another vowelFrom constant/pure vowel to another vowel• 1st part longer and stronger1st part longer and stronger• 2nd part shorter and quieter2nd part shorter and quieter• 8 diphthongs; 2 groups: centring and 8 diphthongs; 2 groups: centring and

closingclosing ending in /ending in /∂∂/ ending in / / ending in / II / /ʊ/ʊ/

• English diphthongs may cause English diphthongs may cause difficultydifficulty

Nowhere is the English spelling system more bizarre than in its representation of diphthongs

First we will look at the First we will look at the closing closing groupgroup… … the ‘pay’, ‘ made’, … … the ‘pay’, ‘ made’, ‘maid’, ‘reign’, ‘obey’, sound‘maid’, ‘reign’, ‘obey’, sound

Then we have the ‘I’, ‘my’, ‘tie’, ‘sigh’, Then we have the ‘I’, ‘my’, ‘tie’, ‘sigh’, ‘either’, ‘eye’, ‘Thai’, sound‘either’, ‘eye’, ‘Thai’, sound

Then there is ‘boy’, ‘choice’Then there is ‘boy’, ‘choice’Then ‘down’, ‘loud’Then ‘down’, ‘loud’To end the closing group, the most To end the closing group, the most

common diphthong in English, that common diphthong in English, that of ‘no’, ‘know’,‘bone’, ‘foam’, ‘sew’, of ‘no’, ‘know’,‘bone’, ‘foam’, ‘sew’, ‘though’, ‘don’t’, ‘foe’, ‘crow’‘though’, ‘don’t’, ‘foe’, ‘crow’

To start with the To start with the centring groupcentring group, we , we have the most common, that of ‘clear’, have the most common, that of ‘clear’,

‘deer’, ‘here’, ‘wier’:‘deer’, ‘here’, ‘wier’:• Then ‘air’, ‘where’, wear’, ‘care’, Then ‘air’, ‘where’, wear’, ‘care’,

‘heir’:‘heir’:• Finally, there is a diphthong which is Finally, there is a diphthong which is

quite rare and is often realised as quite rare and is often realised as :’tour’, ‘poor’::/ - ‘tour’, ‘poor‘ - /:ּכּכ//

triphthongstriphthongs• The most complex English vowel-type The most complex English vowel-type

soundssounds• A glide from one vowel to another and A glide from one vowel to another and

then to a third onethen to a third one• Produced rapidly and without Produced rapidly and without

interruptioninterruption• Composed of: Composed of: closing diphthongs + /∂/closing diphthongs + /∂/

/e/eıı/ /a/ /aıı/ // /ּכּכıı/ // /∂∂ʊʊ/ /a/ /aʊʊ/ + / + /∂//∂/ layer liarlayer liar royalroyal lower hour lower hour