What is a two vowel word

Clear phonetics of the English language or how to use transcription in English-Russian dictionaries part 2

In the first part of the article, which deals with the transcription of English words, which gives us the pronunciation of English words, the following signs of English transcription were analyzed:

Common transcription characters;

Single consonants:

1) Consonants with a similar Russian sound. Pronounced from the «smile» position;

2) Alveolar consonants. When pronouncing them, the tip of the tongue is on the alveoli (gums behind the upper teeth);

3) Consonant sounds, not similar to Russian.

Consonant double sounds.

Read the first part of the article: «Clear phonetics of the English language or how to use transcription in English-Russian dictionaries, part 1»

The transcription of unfamiliar English words can be viewed here: «Online translator (dictionary with transcription) English-Russian (and other languages)».

In the second part of the article, we will consider vowel sounds.

[æ] — long and tense sound. Represents a cross between Russians а и э. Looks like Russian я between soft consonants: dяdya, nяbe. Example: cat [kæt].

[ɒ] — short and relaxed sound. Pronounced like Russian о in words footballоl, tоmouth, but with a wider open mouth and no significant lip rounding. Example: pot [pɒt].

[ʌ] is a short, relaxed sound. Of the Russian vowels, the closest is pre-stressed, but clear а, for example, in words withаdy, toаcoy. Example: sun [sʌn].

[e] — short and relaxed sound. Pronounced like uh, e in words эty, fеst, wеst, that is, between hard and soft consonants. But you cannot pronounce it as in a word withеt, that is, between soft consonants. Example: bed [bed].

[I] — short and relaxed sound. Pronounced like a percussion ы after hard and sibilant ones and before soft consonants, for example in the words wиth, fиth, or unstressed shade и before solid л, for example in the word kиlo. At the same time, it is necessary to eliminate the softening of the previous consonant inherent in Russian consonants before и… Examples: is [ız], Pete [pıt].

[ə] — neutral, unstressed, indistinct sound. It is the result of the weakening of vowels in an unstressed position. Pronounced like the second о in words a goalоwah, holоbottom or last а in the word ramа… Examples: a [ə], an [ən].

[ʊ] — short and relaxed sound. The lips are rounded but not protruding. Looks like a Russian pre-beat у before a soft consonant, for example in the word nуti. Example: book [bʊk].

Vowels single long sounds («Monophthongs»):

[a:] — long and tense sound. When pronouncing it, the tongue is pulled back, that is, the tip of the tongue does not touch the lower teeth and lies as flat as possible with a slight rise in the back. Looks like elongated а in the word ta-аto, but is formed more deeply in the oral cavity. Example: part [pa: t].

[ɔ:] — long and tense sound. When pronouncing, the tongue is pulled back, the lips are rounded and protruded forward. Pronounced like Russian о in the word tоmouth, but the sound is longer. Example: port [pɔ: t].

[z:] — long and tense sound. The body of the tongue is raised, and the entire back of the tongue lies as flat as possible. The tip of the tongue is at the lower teeth. Reminds ё in the word Фёcla. Example: girl [gз: l].

[i:] — long and tense sound. Pronounced with increasing tension towards the end. The beginning of the sound is wider and more open, and the end is closed, reminiscent of Russian и in a word иwah. When pronouncing, the tongue is moved forward, the tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth, the middle back of the tongue is raised high to the hard palate. The lips stretch slightly, exposing the lower teeth. Example: see [si:].

[u:] — long and tense sound. Pronounced like a long Russian уbut with less rounding of the lips and no protrusion. Example: too [tu:].

[ju:] — long and tense sound. Pronounced without softening the previous consonant. Something like yu = yu in words bю, pю… Example: cute [kju: t].

Vowel double sounds («Diphthongs»):

Pronounced together as a single sound. The stress falls on the first element, the second element is weakened and contracted. When pronouncing, it is as if a slip from the first element occurs and the second element is not fully achieved.

[eI] — the core of the sound matches the vowel [e]… Sliding occurs in the direction of the vowel [I], the complete education of which is not achieved. At first glance, it looks like a combination of Russian sounds in the words of lher, wher, but at the same time, the replacement of the sliding element with sound should not be allowed [j] and stun the end of the diphthong. Example: say [seı].

[ɔı] — at the beginning of the diphthong, the speech organs occupy a position intermediate between [ɒ] и [ɔ:], but somewhat closer to [ɔ:]… This is followed by a slide in the direction [I], the complete education of which is not achieved. Example: boy [bɔı].

[ai] — the core of the diphthong — a vowel sound similar to the Russian percussion а before a soft consonant, as in the words mаth, dаth, but at the same time, a high rise should not be allowed [j] and his stunning at the end. Sliding occurs in the direction of the vowel [I], the complete education of which is not achieved. Example: my [maı].

[əʊ] — the core of the diphthong looks like an average between the Russians о и э… Sliding occurs in the direction of the sound [ʊ]… Example: no [nəʊ].

[aʊ] — the core is a sound similar to Russian а… Sliding occurs in the direction of the sound [ʊ]. Ay as in the word myau… Example: now [naʊ].

[ʊə] — when pronouncing, you should proceed from the vowel [ʊ] and end it weak [ə]while retaining the stronger onset of this diphthong. Example: sure [∫ʊə].

[jʊə] — when pronouncing, one should proceed from [ju:] and end up weak [ə], avoiding softening of the previous consonant. Yua = yua… Example: cure [kjʊə].

[eə] — the core of the diphthong is an intermediate sound between [e] и [æ] as in a word эthat. At the end of the diphthong one can hear [ə] or [ʌ]. As at the junction of words: at the ende alley. Example: pair [peə].

[Iə] — the core of the diphthong is an intermediate sound between [i:] or [I]… At the end of the diphthong one can hear [ə] or [ʌ]. Stronger emphasis is placed on the first element. As at the junction of words like: uchand aEnglish. Example: near [nıə].

Vowel triple sounds («Triftongs»):

[aıə], [aʊə], [əʊə].

The first element is percussive, clear, the second and third are weak and merge, and the second is the weakest, disappearing. Can be seen as a combination of diphthongs [ai], [aʊ], [əʊ] with a neutral vowel. Examples: higher [haıə], flower [flaʊə], slower [sləʊə].

In conclusion, it should be noted that the article considers a new version of the international transcription of the English language, that is, the one that has become widespread in recent years. Along with the new version, there are often textbooks and dictionaries using the old version. Both transcription options differ only in the outline of some sounds:

New transcription	Previous transcription
s:	ə:
ʊ	u
ɒ	ɔ
əʊ	əu
aʊ	au
eə	eə

Source: http://en-umbrella.ru/ponyatnaya-fonetika-anglijskogo-yazy-ka-ili-kak-pol-zovat-sya-transkriptsiej-v-anglo-russkih-slovaryah-chast-2/

English reading rules for beginners

›Learning the language› Translation and reading ›Rules for reading English for beginners: a table of letters and diphthongs with transcription and pronunciation

Having studied the Russian alphabet, we can easily read any texts. But for correct reading in English, you will have to make more effort, because there are many discrepancies between spelling and pronunciation of words.

If you decide to master this language on your own and cannot understand how to read words in English correctly, then this material is exactly what you need. Today we will analyze the nuances of the pronunciation of English letters and letter combinations, and find out how easy it is to learn to read English from scratch.

And it will help to study the rules of reading English for beginners with a table in which all the letters and their sound are presented.

What are open and closed syllables?

First, let’s get acquainted with the most important law of reading in English — the rule of open and closed syllables. There is no similar norm in the Russian language, so we will analyze in detail what it is. Pay attention to the transcription.

An open syllable is a syllable that ends in a vowel sound. As a rule, it occurs in the following cases:

• The word ends in a vowel, respectively, the last syllable is always open: tfake [take]. *
• A vowel is followed by a consonant, followed by a vowel again: edlungstion [editing].
• There are two vowels in a word: cruel [cruel].

* Ultimate e in most cases, it is considered «dumb», that is, it is not pronounced, but appears at the base of the word precisely for the formation of an open syllable.

In open syllables, the vowel is always pronounced smoothly and stretched out. Accordingly, closed syllables are all those syllables in which the vowel sound is closed by a consonant and therefore sounds short and abrupt: cut [cat].

In addition, special reading rules in English are characteristic of syllables in which the vowel is closed by the letter r. The fact is that in the British version of the pronunciation of such syllables, the letter r is often completely omitted, i.e. not pronounced. Therefore, there are two options for reading such letter combinations:

1. In an open syllable, when r is surrounded by vowels, only both vowels are read: care [keea]. In such cases, the last e won’t be dumb.
2. In a closed syllable (vowel + r + acc.), R is also not readable, but it affects the sound of the vowel sound, making it more drawn out: start [staat]

The rule of open and closed syllables is the basic rule of reading in English, although there are many exceptions to it. But it is too early to learn exceptions without knowing the main rules. Therefore, now we will consider the options for the sound of all letters and letter combinations.

Rules for reading English for beginners — a table of correspondence of letters and sounds

Even if you started learning English and reading it from scratch, you probably already know the spelling and sound of all the letters of the English alphabet. But, as we already learned from the previous section, when reading, the pronunciation of letters depends on the type of syllable or letter combination.

Therefore, in the tables below, you can find several variants of the sound of the same letter at once. But do not be alarmed, for each case there will be an accessible explanation.

So, let’s continue to study English for beginners and learn the rules of reading in English.

Consonants

Let’s start with the easiest one: with a table of consonants, the pronunciation of which is similar to the Russian sound.

Letter	Transcription	Russian pronunciation
B	[B]	б
D	[D]	d *
F	[f]	ф
K	[k]	к
L	[l]	л
M	[m]	м
N	[n]	н
P	[p]	п
R	[r]	р
S	[s]	с
[z]	z (only in special positions: after voiced consonants, between two vowels, and in the -ism suffix.)
T	[t]	T*
V	[v]	в
W	[w]	v**
Z	[z]	з

* English d and t are pronounced more aspirated than their Russian counterparts.

** w is pronounced with lips extended into a tube, as a result, a cross between the Russian sounds в and у is obtained.

Now let’s deal with more complex letters.

Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation and explanations
C	[s]	c (before vowels i, e, y)
[k]	to (in other cases)
G	[dʒ]	j (before vowels i, e, y)
[g]	r (in other cases)
H	[H]	Very weakly pronounced Russian X (almost just a strong exhalation)
Q	[kW]	square
X	[ks]	ks (before a consonant or at the end of a word)
[gz]	z (between two vowels)
[z]	z (at the beginning of a word before a vowel)

And also we will study the letter combinations of consonants in English.

Combination	Transcription	Pronunciation
ck	[k]	к
ch	[tʃ]	ч
tch
ng	[ŋ]	nasal n
ph	[f]	ф
sh	[ʃ]	ш
th	[θ] [ð]	1) the sound is average between s and f (tongue between the teeth) 2) the sound is average between z and v (tongue between the teeth)
wr	[r]	р
wh	[w] [h]	y / in (just before o)
qu	[qw]	square

In addition, it is worth considering that the consonants at the very end of a word, the English language never allows stunning. Otherwise, you may not say at all what you wanted. For example: back [back] — behind, behind; bag [bag] — a bag, a bag.

Vowels

It is much more difficult to cope with reading English vowels, but the familiar rules of open and closed syllables will help us to understand it. We take them into service and learn how to read English vowels correctly.

Closed syllable
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[æ]	э	bat, track, sad
E	[e]	э	pet, red, check
I	[ɪ]	и	pit, fill, tin, system, myth, lynx
Y
O	[ɒ]	о	spot, not, cross
U	[ʌ]	а	spun, truck, butter

Do not forget that in a closed syllable, all letters are pronounced briefly.

Open syllable
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[ei]	Hey	game, flame, lake
E	[i:]	и	he, be, Pete
I	[aɪ]	ouch	mine,, nine, cry, bye, type
Y
O	[əʊ]	OU	bone, tone, rose
U	[jʊ]	ю	pupil, music, cube

And the vowels of an open syllable are always smooth and drawn out.

Open syllable with r
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[eə]	ea	square
E	[ɪə]	ue	here
I	[aɪə]	aye	tired
Y
O	[ɔː]	Toothpaste	more
U	[jʊə]	yue	cycle

Remember that the letter r after a vowel is usually not pronounced.

Accordingcovered syllable with r
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[ɑː]	aa	dark
O	[ɔː]	Toothpaste	sports
E	[ɜː]	ё	pert, bird, myrtle, burn
I
Y
U

Now we know how to read vowels in English words. But there is one more thing that needs to be learned for a perfect English reading.

Diphthongs and triphthongs in English

An important aspect of English for beginners is diphthongs and triphthongs, i.e. combinations of two or three letters with a special sound. Their pronunciation is called sliding, because

first, the main sound is strongly pronounced, and then it is smoothly transferred into a secondary sound. Diphthongs are a kind of exception and do not obey general grammatical laws, so you just have to memorize them.

The table below will help us learn the rules for reading English diphthongs for beginners.

English diphthongs
Combinations	Transcription	Pronunciation
air, ear, are	[eə]	uh *
ye, igh, uy, ie	[aɪ]	ouch
ea, ey, ai, ei, ei	[ei]	Hey
ere, eer, ier, ear	[ɪə]	uie
oy, oi	[ɔɪ]	ой
ou, ow	[au]	aah
ou, ow, oa, ol	[əu]	ooh
ure, ue, our, oor	[uə]	uue
English triphthongs
ower, our	[aʊə]	aaue
eur, ure	[juə]	yue
iet, ire, ier, iar, yre	[aɪə]	aye

* doubled letters indicate the length of the first sound in relation to the second.

So, we examined the basic nuances of reading in English. Treat the outlined rules responsibly: conduct reading lessons more often and be sure to learn to distinguish between the types of syllables in English. Otherwise, you will make gross mistakes in pronunciation, which will lead to a complete misunderstanding of the interlocutor of your words. Good luck in learning English and see you soon!

Rules for reading English for beginners: a table of letters and diphthongs with transcription and pronunciation Link to the main publication

Source: https://speakenglishwell.ru/pravila-chteniya-anglijskogo-yazyka-dlya-nachinayushhih/

Pronunciation of English diphthongs and triphthongs

There are no diphthongs and triphthongs in Russian, but for English their presence is one of the characteristic features of the phonetics of the English language. Diphthongs and triphthongs are complex sounds that consist of two or three vowel tones pronounced together. There are only three triphthongs in English, and even then they are very rare, so we will focus on diphthongs in this article.

The first sound in a diphthong is syllable and percussive, it is the main one, it is called the nucleus. The second element is called glide, it is very short, when pronouncing it, the language very often does not even reach the position that is necessary to pronounce [I, q, u].

The duration of the pronunciation of the first element of the diphthong is about the same as that of regular long vowels. The other sound, as mentioned, is very short. If the diphthong is at the end of a word, then it is pronounced a little lingeringly before the pause between words. And if the next word begins with voiced consonants, then it is pronounced a little shorter. Before voiceless consonants — as briefly as possible.

Thus, the following trends are observed in modern English:

• The first sound is long
• The second sound is short, with clear neutralization relative to the phonemes [I, q, u].

Well, now let’s move on to watching video lessons on the pronunciation of double phonemes.

how to pronounce diphthong

As you already know, a diphthong is two sounds fused together, forming one syllable, with one phoneme slightly longer, and the second somewhat shortened. Watch the video carefully, listen to the teacher and repeat all the words after the announcer. Try to copy the intonation and pronunciation of the teacher from the video as closely as possible.

There are only eight diphthongs in English:

[ɪə]

Pronounced as Russian «ie», and «i» — long, «e» — short. It is indicated on the letter by the following letter combinations:

• eer — deer
• ier — fierce
• ear — gear
• ere — severe

[uə]

Similar to our «ue», respectively, «u» is longer than «e». This is how it looks graphically:

• ure — sure
• ue — cruel
• our — tour

[ai]

Pronounced «ay». It is expressed in writing as follows, in an open syllable and at the end of a word:

• y — fly
• uy — guy
• ye — dye
• eye — eyebrow
• i — line
• ie — tie
• igh — knight

[ɔɪ]

Looks like «oh». It is transmitted using the following letter combinations:

[əu]

It is similar in pronunciation to something in between «oh» and «eu». In an open syllable, it is indicated by the letter «o» under stress, and by some letter combinations:

• o — bone
• ou — soul
• oa — coat
• oll — roller
• ow — snow
• old — cold

[ɛə]

It is read as an average between «ea» and «ee», that is, the first element is exactly «e», and the second oscillates between «a» and «e». Expressed through:

• ear — bear
• are — care
• air — repair

[au]

It is similar to the Russian «ay», which reads together, but «a» is longer than «y». It is transmitted by letter using connections:

[eɪ]

Reads hey, but a little softer. In an open syllable, under stress is expressed by the letter «a» and such combinations:

• a — save
• ea — great
• ai — main
• ey — gray
• ay — tray
• ei — eight

How to pronounce English triftongs?

[aɪə]

It reads like «aye». The sound «a» is long, and «y» and «e» are pronounced together, but briefly. The letter is transmitted as follows:

• iar — liar
• ire — fire
• iet — quiet
• yre — tire
• ier — tier

[auə]

Similar to our «aue». The letter «w» conveys the phoneme «y», the graphic designation in the letter is as follows:

[juə]

Pronounced as «yue»: pure, European. Here «y» is the longest. In writing, it is expressed through combinations:

• ure — pure
• eur — European

Watch a video lecture on the pronunciation of triphthongs in English

The video explains everything simply and easily. Therefore, make yourself comfortable and start watching educational video lectures on the pronunciation of English phonemes. Repeat until you can pronounce it like a professional announcer. Good luck!

Source: https://englishfull.ru/fonetika/diftong.html

English vowel sounds — classification

Basic principles for the classification of English vowels:

• pronunciation stability
• the location of the bulk of the tongue in the oral cavity (its anterior, central or posterior part)
• lifting the bulk of the tongue (high, middle or low position)
• tension of the speech apparatus (the degree of muscular tension of the tongue)
• longitude

Monophthongs

According to the first principle, English vowels are divided into monophthongs, diphthongs and diphthongoids. Monophthongs are vowels, when pronounced, the organs of speech are motionless, the quality of the vowel is stable.

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are characterized by sliding articulation, the sound quality is completely variable. The organs of speech occupy a certain position for the articulation of the first stable vowel, which sounds distinct and prolonged. Then the organs of speech change their way, striving to take a different position, but not reaching it. This slide is created in the direction of one of 3 timbres: [i], [u] and [ә] — they sound short and indistinct. The first element is the core of the diphthong, the second is slip.

Diphthongoids

An intermediate link between monophthongs and diphthongs. They, like diphthongs, are characterized by sliding articulation, but the degree of sliding in them is much weaker. They do not radically change the sound quality of the vowel, therefore diphthongoids are traditionally referred to the group of monophthongs.

There are 12 monophthongs in English: [i:], [i], [e], [æ], [u], [u:], [o:], [o], [a:], [a], [e:], [ә], of which 2: [i:] and [u:] are diphthongoids and 8 diphthongs: [ei], [ai], [oi], [au], [әu], [iә ], [eә], [uә].

Front vowels

If the bulk of the tongue is moved forward to the front teeth (the front part of the tongue touches the lower teeth) and its middle part is curved up, then the vowels formed in this position of the tongue are front (monophthongs [i:], [e], [æ] and the first elements of the diphthongs [eә], [ei]).

Back vowels

The monophthongs [u:], [o:], [o] and the first element of the diphthong [oi] are formed in such a position of the tongue, when its main mass of the tongue is pulled back, and the back part is curved upward.

Back-advanced vowels

When articulating the monophthongs [u], [a:] and the first element [uә], the bulk of the tongue is slightly advanced in comparison with the position in the posterior part of the oral cavity.

Central vowels

Center / mixed vowels ([e:], [ә], [a] and the first diphthong element [әu]) are pronounced with the bulk of the tongue in the center of the mouth. At the same time, both the middle and rear parts are evenly raised.

High vowels

[i:], [i], [u], [u:] and the first elements of diphthongs [iә], [uә] are pronounced in such a position of the tongue, when its bulk rises high in the mouth.

Middle vowels

[e], [e:], [ә], [o:] and the first elements of diphthongs [ei], [әu], [eә] are pronounced when the bulk of the tongue is located in the middle of the mouth, and the middle and back of the tongue evenly raised.

Low vowels

[a], [æ], [a:], [o] and the first elements of diphthongs [oi], [ai], [au] are pronounced if the bulk of the tongue is located low in the mouth.

Tense vowels

Monophthongs can be pronounced with some muscle tension, as in the sounds [a:], [o:], or without tension, as in [i], [a]. The vowels [i:], [u:], [o:], [a:], [e:] are characterized as tense, the rest — as relaxed.

Diphthongs are considered semi-stressed, since by the end of their articulation, the tension usually subsides.

Diphthongoids are characterized by a slight increase in tension towards the end of the vowel pronunciation, since the sliding section of the diphthongoid is not at the end of the vowel sound, as in diphthongs, but at the beginning.

Long / short vowels

Traditionally, vowels are divided into long and short. However, the basis for distinguishing vowels is qualitative characteristics, since the actual duration of the sounding of historically long vowels can vary. Longitudinal positional-conditioned vowel variants depend on the type of syllable, the type of the syllable-ending consonant, the accent structure of the word, and its intonation design.

English Joke

Source: https://www.lovelylanguage.ru/pronunciation/sounds/384-english-vowels

Diphthongs in English. Pronunciation of diphthongs in english

Monophthong— a vowel sound pronounced within one stressed syllable. When pronouncing a monophthong, the speech organs retain a certain fixed position.

There are 12 monophthongs in English :, [i], [u],, [e], [ə], [ə:], [ɔ], [ɔ:], [æ], [ʌ],.

On a letter, it can be indicated by one letter or a combination of letters.

but

her

Diphthong— a combination of two vowel elements, pronounced without a pause in one stressed syllable. The first part of the diphthong is called the nucleus. The second part is called sliding.

In writing, a diphthong can be denoted by one letter or a combination of letters.

by

lie

A diphthong should be distinguished from a digraph. Digraph is a combination of two letters within one syllable.

In English, there is also a combination of three vowel elements, pronounced without a pause in one stressed syllable, which is called triphthong… There are 2 triphthongs in English: and.

Diphthongs in English 8:,, [ɔi],, [əu],,,.

When pronouncing a diphthong, at first the speech organs occupy a position for its first part — core, and then, «gliding smoothly», go to the second — slip.

Diphthong

The first element, the core, the sound [e] is more open than outside the diphthong. To pronounce the core, raise your tongue, slightly stretch your lips.

When pronouncing the second element, sliding [i], the tongue rises higher, while the middle sound is pronounced between [i] and [ə]

It looks like the Russian «hey», in which the «y» is much stronger.

Diphthong [ɔi]

When pronouncing the first element, the nucleus, lower your jaw low, rest the tip of your tongue on your lower teeth, slightly round your lips.

The slide is in the direction of sound [i].

It looks like the Russian «oh», in which the «y» sounds more distinct.

Diphthong [əu]

The first element, the core, the sound [ə], is something in between «o» and «e». Lower the lower jaw, slightly stretch your lips.

When pronouncing the second element, sliding [u], the jaw is lifted, the lips are rounded.

Diphthong [ɛə] /

To pronounce the first element, the core, the sound [ɛ] / [e] (in different sources there are different designations) stretch your lips into a wide smile, while touching the lower teeth with your tongue. The distance between the upper and lower teeth should be about 1 cm.

Sliding goes in the direction of the sound [ʌ] and is accompanied by a lowering of the voice.

The English alphabet has 6 vowels, which, through various combinations, form 22 sounds. Among these sounds there are special groups called monophthongs, diphthongs and triphthongs. They differ in the number of constituent sounds.

Monophthongs are common sounds familiar to our ears. There are 12 of them in English: [i], [i:], [u:], [u], [ə], [e], [æ], [ə:], [a:], [ʌ] , [ɔ:], [ɔ]. They can be short or long. The letter can be expressed in one or more letters.

A diphthong in English is an indivisible sound. It is formed by a combination of two vowel sounds. One of them is considered a «core» forming a syllable, and the other is just an «echo». There are 8 diphthongs in English: [ai], [aʊ], [ei], [eə], [əʊ], [iə], [ʊə], [ͻi]. There are no such Russian sounds. During the pronunciation of the diphthong, the organs of speech do not change their position, two vowel sounds are pronounced as one, without splitting into syllables.

In English, vowel diphthongs are divided into 3 types:

1. Ascending. The second sound prevails over the first.
2. Downstream. The first sound prevails.
3. Equilibrium. Both sounds have the same acoustics, pronounced exactly.

Triphthongs have a more intricate design, combining 3 vowel sounds. There are two of them in English: [auə] and [aiə].

Many people confuse the concepts of «diphthong» and «digraph», but they have completely different designs.

A digraph is one sound, but always two letters. A diphthong is two sounds, and it can consist of 1, 2 or 3 letters. However, vowels belonging to different syllables are read separately — they are neither digraph nor diphthong.

Examples of digraphs in English:

1. Sh [ʃ] reads like the Russian sound «sh».
2. At the end of the word, ng [ŋ] is pronounced like a nasal «n» (the root of the tongue is pressed against the soft palate).
3. Consisting in one syllable «ee» [ɪ] sounds like Russian «and».
4. Th has no analogue in Russian. Depending on the case, it is read differently: [θ] — as a mezzanine «s» or [ð] — as an interdental «z».
5. Ch [tʃ] sounds like the Russian sound «ch».
6. The combination kn [n] is pronounced like a regular «n».
7. The combination of letters «ea» in one syllable is read as the sound «and».

The study of digraphs and diphthongs will not be difficult, since they do not depend on the letters standing next to them and the stress in the word.

Diphthong [ai]

The diphthong [ai] is similar to the Russian “ai”. The letter is conveyed in the following letters:

• y (in an open stressed syllable);
• ye (at the end of a word);
• eye;
• i (in an open stressed syllable);
• ie (at the end of a word);
• uy;
• igh

examples:

• fly [flaɪ] — fly, fly;
• dye [daɪ] — to paint, to paint;
• eyebrow [ˈaɪbraʊ] — eyebrow;
• line [laɪn] — line, line;
• tie [taɪ] — tie, tie;
• guy [ɡaɪ] — guy, small;
• knight [naɪt] — rider, knight;
• lie [laɪ] — lie, deception.

Diphthong [aʊ]

The diphthong [aʊ] is similar to the Russian “ay”. The letter is expressed in letters:

examples:

• house [haʊs] — dwelling, house;
• how [ˈhaʊ] — how, how;
• sound [saʊnd] — sound, noise;
• down [daʊn] — descent, down;
• cloud [klaʊd] — cloud, cloud;
• brown [braʊn] — brown, brown;
• town [taʊn] — city, town.

Diphthong [ei]

The diphthong [ei] is similar to the Russian “hey”. Transmitted in letters:

examples:

• late [leɪt] — late, last;
• tray [treɪ] — gutter, tray;
• main [meɪn] — main, main;
• great [ɡreɪt] — great, great;
• gray [ɡreɪ] — gray, cloudy;
• eight [eɪt] — eight;
• day [deɪ] — day, day.

Diphthong [eə]

The diphthong [eə] is similar to the Russian “ea”. It is expressed in the following letters:

examples:

• bear [beə] — bear, bear;
• care [keə] — take care, take care;
• hair [heə] — hair, hair;
• fair [feə] — fair, honest.

Diphthong [əʊ]

The diphthong [əʊ] is similar to the Russian «ou». The letter is conveyed in letters:

• o (in stressed open syllable);
• Where;
• oa;
• ow.

examples:

• bone [bəʊn] — bone, bone;
• soul [səʊl] — spirit, soul;
• coat [ˈkəʊt] — coat, jacket;
• snow [snəʊ] — snow, snowy.

Diphthong [iə]

The diphthong [iə] is analogous to the Russian “ie”. The letter is expressed in letters:

examples:

• deer [dɪə] — doe, deer;
• fierce [fɪəs] — cruel, strong;
• gear [ɡɪə] — mechanism, transmission;
• severe [sɪˈvɪə] — serious, severe;
• tear [ˈtɪə] — tear, tear.

Diphthong [ʊə]

The diphthong [ʊə] is similar to the Russian “ue”. It is transmitted in the following letters:

examples:

• sure [ʃʊə] — certainly, certainly;
• cruel [krʊəl] — cruel, terrible;
• poor [pʊə] — poor, bad;
• tour [tʊə] — excursion, tour;
• endure [ɪnˈdjʊə] — endure, endure.

Diphthong [ͻi]

The diphthong [ͻi] is similar to the Russian «oh». The letter expresses:

examples:

• annoy [əˈnɔɪ] — annoy, annoy;
• noisy [ˈnɔɪzi] — noisy, screaming;
• soy [sɔɪ] — soy sauce, soy;
• oil [ɔɪl] — oil, oil;
• boy [ˌbɔɪ] — boy, young man.

Features of the pronunciation of diphthongs

The pronunciation of diphthongs in English is sometimes accompanied by errors, since there are no such sounds in Russian. Correct pronunciation of new vowel combinations requires a special position of the tongue and lips.

You also need to remember some of the nuances of pronunciation of diphthongs in English:

1. In the diphthong [ei], the sound [e] is pronounced strongly, like something in between the Russian «e» and the soft «e». [i] is a short and weak vowel sound, it should not be pronounced like the Russian consonant «y».
2. The first sound for most diphthongs in English should sound longer than the second. This will make the speech more similar to English.
3. In the diphthong [eə], the sound [e] is strong and long, and [ə] is weak and short.

Most of the sounds and diphthongs in English are difficult for Russian speakers. Therefore, it is important to begin with just memorizing the pronunciation rules, and only then begin to practice the knowledge gained. Regular training is the key to your success!

Source: https://fb.ru/article/430895/chto-takoe-diftongi-angliyskogo-yazyika

How diphthongs are read in English. Diphthongs in English

Monophthong— a vowel sound pronounced within one stressed syllable. When pronouncing a monophthong, the speech organs retain a certain fixed position.

There are 12 monophthongs in English :, [i], [u],, [e], [ə], [ə:], [ɔ], [ɔ:], [æ], [ʌ],.

On a letter, it can be indicated by one letter or a combination of letters.

but

her

Diphthong— a combination of two vowel elements, pronounced without a pause in one stressed syllable. The first part of the diphthong is called the nucleus. The second part is called sliding.

In writing, a diphthong can be denoted by one letter or a combination of letters.

by

lie

A diphthong should be distinguished from a digraph. Digraph is a combination of two letters within one syllable.

In English, there is also a combination of three vowel elements, pronounced without a pause in one stressed syllable, which is called triphthong… There are 2 triphthongs in English: and.

Diphthongs in English 8:,, [ɔi],, [əu],,,.

When pronouncing a diphthong, at first the speech organs occupy a position for its first part — core, and then, «gliding smoothly», go to the second — slip.

Lesson 20. Pronunciation of English diphthongs. Part 3. Reading letter combinations ai, ay, oi, oy

Hello dear readers! Today the last sounds are waiting for you, namely the last diphthongs: [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ], but this course «Teaching reading in English and pronunciation at the same time» does not end.

However, you have not yet learned to read in English, for this you need practice and more practice! On the second stage of learning to read, which will rely on the method «from letter to sound», we will move on to study and partially repeat reading rules in English.

From lesson number 20 you will learn:

• how to pronounce english diphthongs [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ] correctly;
• what letter combinations they are conveyed in the letter.

These sounds are called diphthongs and consist of two sounds:

[eɪ] = [e] + [ɪ]

[ɔɪ] = [ɔ:] + [ɪ]

[aɪ] = [a:] + [ɪ]

Listen to how these sounds are pronounced — HERE

Please note that you cannot replace sound in diphthongs [ɪ] Russian sound «Th».

* * *

So how to pronounce English diphthongs [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ]:

To pronounce the diphthong [eɪ] right, you need:

• make a sound first [e]… (We went through this sound in lesson # 2 Pronunciation of the English sound [e])
• now say the sound [e] again, but more drawn out [eee]
• add sound [ɪ]

Use the same approach when pronouncing diphthongs. [ɔɪ], [aɪ]… Looking at the table below, remember how to pronounce the corresponding sounds, taking into account the lines and columns in which they are located.

Here are links to tutorials that describe how to pronounce these sounds.

Phonetic exercises to practice reading sounds [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ]:

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Description: Access to a course of lessons on teaching reading in English and pronunciation at the same time. 50% discount until 01.01.2020/XNUMX/XNUMX. Author T.V. Nabeeva

Exercise 1. Read words with sound [eɪ], which in the letter is conveyed by letter combinations ai, ay (= ey), (at the end of a word), rarely ea.Learn the highlighted words.

(the eye and the hand) (main), plain, rain (rain), Brain (brain), train (train), stain, vain, aid (help), laid, paid, mail, sail, tail (tail), cocktail, snail (snail), fail, rail, aim (target), claim

Your browser does not support the audio tag!
say (say), stay, lay, clay, tray, pay (pay), pray, spray, play (play), gay, bay, may (can),days (day), way (way), sway, cay, hay, jay, ray

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

And in the mix: ray, rain, day, say, may, May, tail, play, gray, aid, lay, layer, player, brain, Spain, train, wait, waiter, pain, way, bait,

Exception words: great, break, steak

Exercise 2. Read words with sound [ɔɪ], which in the letter is conveyed by letter combinations oi, oi (at the end of a word). Learn the highlighted words.

 oil, boil, coil, toilet (toilet), hoist, foist, moist, point, noise (noise), choice (choice), join (join)

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

toy (a toy), boy (boy), joy (joy), enjoy (rejoice) annoy (annoyed), destroy, employ, roy, royal, enjoyable, employer, destroyer (the last words are formed by adding suffixes and therefore the letter combination oy ended up in the middle of the word)

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

Exercise 3. Read words with sound [aɪ], which in the letter is conveyed by letter combinations he d [aɪld], ind [aɪnd], igh [aɪ]. Learn the highlighted words.

child (child), wild (wild), mild, find (find), mind, hind, behind, child (kind), grind, bind, blind (blind), high (high about the subject), sigh, sight, bright (bright), fight (fight, fight) flight (flight), and «light», too (light, light), might, slight

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

* * *

Additional phonetic exercises to practice pronunciation of sounds [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ]

Exercise 4. Practice sound pronunciation [ei]by reading pairs of words with sounds [e] и [eɪ]… The first element of the diphthong [eɪ] the same as sound [e].

1. em — aim
2. pen — pain
3. red — raid
4. men — main
5. sell — sail
6. fell — fail
7. well — wail
8. hell — hail
9. bell — bail
10. wet — wait

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

Exercise 5. Practice sound pronunciation [ɔɪ]by reading pairs of words with sounds [ɔ] и [ɔɪ]… The first element of the diphthong [ɔɪ] less open than sound  [ɔ] (= [ɒ])

1. Sol — soil
2. pot — point
3. spot — spoilt
4. John — join
5. jot — joint

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

Exercise 6. Practice the pronunciation of the passed sounds [a:] — [au] — [aɪ]by reading the word pairs below.

1. scar — scow — sky
2. are — owl — eye
3. far — found — find
4. barn — bound — bind
5. mast — mouse — mice
6. craft — crowd — cried

Your browser does not support the audio tag!

Let’s sum up the results of the 20 lesson from which you learned

• how to pronounce diphthongs [eɪ], [ɔɪ], [aɪ];
• how to read letter combinations ai, ay, oi, oy;
• how the letter is read i before letter combinations nd, ld, gh.

Source: http://englishstory.ru/urok-20-proiznoshenie-angliyskih-diftongov-chast-3.html

Diphthongs in English

Correct pronunciation is the key to competent speech in the target language. Diphthongs and diphthongoids are simple phonetic constructions, but their roles in pronunciation are difficult to understand. They are not in 2/3 of the world’s languages, but English is not one of them. What are diphthongs in English and how to use it in speech — we will find out in this publication.

Diphthongs and diphthongoids

Diphthong is a phonetically indivisible vowel, however, it has two sounds in its construction. This feature is caused by the conjugation of twenty-two sounds for only 6 vowels in the language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEzmSsCUBWQu0026list=PLYmqlrWxtCnhvp3unRwOR207LqiAcHIzv

Total diphthongs in english 8 and all have a particular style of pronunciation and spelling. As a general rule, the sounds in it are consonant or close to each other in articulation.

Note! A diphthong is one syllable and one phoneme. It differs from other vowels in pronunciation, because the response of the second vowel is heard in it, regardless of the word.

Diphthongs in English — what are descending, ascending and equal:

• Descending — characterized by the predominance of a double phoneme in the acoustics of the first sound;
• Ascending — the second sound prevails;
• Equilibrium — there is no predominant sound, and the whole phoneme is acoustically equal and stable.

Diphthongoid is a vowel in a language that is a single phonemic construction, but has overtones of another vowel at the beginning or end. This is one vowel, which, when pronounced, evokes an echo of another vowel (for example, in Russian, the letter o begins with the sound of y in speech).

Differences between diphthong and diphthongoid lie in spelling and pronunciation. The first is two connected vowels with respectively two sounds. The second is one vowel with an echo of the other. But both the first and the second are one indivisible phonetic part of the word.

Pronunciation, spelling and examples of English diphthongs

The peculiarity of diphthongs in English lies in the ratio of their pronunciation and spelling. Many words can be spelled the same, but their acoustics differ. From one word, up to three or four meanings of other words can be obtained, depending on the sound of the vowels.

Are written diphthongs in English in the form of two or one vowel in a word. But they are recognized as indivisible and are considered one full syllable. But they are also pronounced as two full-fledged sounds that are important for understanding a particular word in speech.

Note! Each diphthong has features in dubbing, practiced in practice.

Examples diphthongs in English:

[ei]

Pronounced as «Hey», where the first letter is identical to the Russian sound «E». The next sound should not be dull, as in Russian, but lingering and smooth, reminiscent of “I”, not “Y”. It can also stand out in a combination of other vowels, including one:

• Letters [ea] — lear;
• In the context [ey] — key;
• Letters [ay] — day;
• The combination itself [ei] — eight;

[ai]

In speech it sounds like “Ay”, but in details it should resemble the transcription [ae], rather than the harsh Russian [ai]. The second letter «I» is short, but clearly audible and softens the whole word. In speech, it can occur in the form:

• [y] — try;
• [i] — fire;
• Letter combination [uy] — buy;
• The word eye in the context of [eye] is eyebrow;
• [ie] — lie.

[ɔi]

The diphthong in english pronounced like “Ouch”. This is an example of an equilibrium construction, because both the first and second parts of a syllable are equal and stable. It occurs in the following form:

• Complex [oy] — boy, soy;
• At the beginning of a word or in the middle of it [oi] — oil.

[iə]

The sound of «Ie», but it is smoother and softer than Russian. This is the simplest diphthong in English, because it does not have the specifics of the dialect and differs from the usual “i” and “e” in the viscosity and smoothness of the transition from the first part to the second. Usage variations:

• [eer] — beer (the last r is not pronounced, but is counted);
• [ear] — tears;
• In some cases [ere] — severe;
• The combination [iou] is furious.

[eə]

It resembles the harsh «E» in Russian, but differs in a short intonation tone at the end. The output should be intermediate between “A” and rough “E”. Methods of application in speech:

• In the context [are] and in the middle or end of a word — prepare;
• In a separate word air, but as part of another word — fair.

[uə]

The non-Russian-language “Ue” is similar in the worked-out speech. The first part of the syllable is long and smooth, flowing into the intermediate between «A» and the sound of «E». Examples:

• Letter combination [ue] — fuel;
• In some words, it is appropriate in the construction [ure] — endure;
• The combination of the letters [oo] with the final “r” is in the word poor.

[au]

This diphthong in English is pronounced simply and briefly: «Ay». Correct application is like a quick exclamation on exhalation without complicated manipulation of the lips and tongue. In speech it is used like this:

• Connection [ou] — sound (the case when pronounced lingeringly and fluently);
• [ow] — the letter «W» sounds like a short «y» — now.

[əu]

When dubbing, something averaged between “ou” and “ey” is heard. Correct pronunciation does without lingering sounds — you need to speak quickly, but accurately. It complicates in practice the transition from the first part of the diphthong to the second: from “O” (closer to “E”), to “U”. When making statements, it occurs as:

• [ou] — soul;
• The vowels [oa] in the middle of words are coat;
• The letter [o] is pronounced as «Oh» if it comes before the l and if the stressed in the word is cold, only.

Errors in pronouncing English diphthongs

The main shortcomings and mistakes in the sounding of «double» syllables are the lack of analogs in the Russian language. People who speak Russian have to learn new combinations of sounds pronounced with an unusual position of the lips and tongue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI4YzJUUb14u0026list=PLYmqlrWxtCnhvp3unRwOR207LqiAcHIzv

Let’s look at common mistakes to avoid them:

1. Most double sounds are pronounced like this: the first part is longer, the second is shorter. Even if they are balanced, you need to keep this rule in your head, then the sound will be more accurate;
2. In combination [ei] — to say [e] as a full and deep “E” is incorrect. Something in between the soft “E” and “E” should be heard;
3. [eə] — the first part is intermediate between the usual [e] and [ae], but it is audible and noticeable, when, like the second, it should be lost against its background;
4. In all sounds with “Y”, one should hear rather a soft vowel “Y” than the Russian chopping off.

Сonclusion

Decided: Diphthong is an indivisible syllable in a word, however, when pronounced, it combines two sounds. This rule, at first, is easier to remember than to understand and feel. But one to two months of practice and new sounds are easy for every language learner.

Start with the double syllables that work best (most often [ei] and [iə]). During practice, try new ones consistently and quickly master them all. Success in your study!

Source: https://enjoyenglish-blog.com/learning-english/diftongi-v-anglijskom-yazyke.html

Reading rules in English

Reading rules in English present a lot of difficulties for beginners. We offer you a collection of reading rules presented in the form of tables with examples. If necessary, remember the English alphabet.

If you are unsure about reading transcriptions and pronunciation of sounds, check out this article. 

Vowels and sounds in English:

Aa — [eı], [ə], [æ], [a:]

Her — [i:], [e], [3:], [ə]

Ii — [aı], [ı], [3:]

Oo — [əu], [ɔ], [ɔ:], [ə]

Uu — [ju:], [Λ], [3:], [ə]

Yy — [aı], [ı], [3:]

Please note that the “:” sign in the transcription denotes a long sound.

Diphthongs in English

Diphthong is a sound that consists of two vowels and when pronounced, the language first takes a position for one vowel, and then moves towards the position for another vowel, and this advance occurs within one syllable. The first element is stronger than the second.

• [aı] — ah — tea
• [eı] — hey — shake
• [əu] — oh — clown
• [au] — au — pause
• [ɔı] — oh — carnage
• [ıə] — and — a (tone of sound a)
• [eə] — e — a (tone of sound a)
• [uə] — y — a (tone of sound a)
• [aıə] — ay — e (tone of the sound e)
• [auə] — ah — e (tone of a sound)

Vowel A reading rules

Depending on the position and type of syllable, vowel A can be read differently.

Reading rules A table.

Transmitted sound	In which cases	Examples
[eı]	in an open stressed syllable	lake, snake, take, cake, name, face, place, date, late, plate, skate, makeHo: have [æ], many [e]
in combinations ai, ai	pay, way, play, day, may, main, say, plain, aim, layHo: said [e]
before combinations “ple / ble ” in shock position	table, able, maple, cable, stable
[æ]	In a closed stressed syllable; before paired consonants	That, lamp, cat, bag, sad, plan add, saddle
[a:]	in combination «ar»	park, garden, car, party, card, star, far, hard, mark, hard, arm
before s + consonant	fast, task, mask, last, basket
before combinations of th, ft, nt, pse, nch, If	half, bath, plant, dance, craft, after, chant, calf
[ɔ:]	before I + consonant	Call, wall, fall, ball, talk, salt, false, also
in combinations au, aw in a striking position

Source: http://grammar-tei.com/pravila-chteniya-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

English Sounds: The Complete Guide to Reading and Pronunciation

This article will help you understand the features of the pronunciation of English sounds, and what combinations of letters they can be expressed in writing.

For a more detailed study of the rules for reading words in English, use our «Reading Rules Guide».

English pronunciation

English often sounds more dynamic compared to smoother Russian. It is a little faster (about 10% — 15%, according to various studies), and sometimes it seems to us that not all words are pronounced in fast speech.

Despite the fact that the languages ​​come from the same Indo-European family — which means that they are based on the same pronunciation system — there are a number of significant differences in the pronunciation of Russian and English sounds, words and phrases.

English has more vowel sounds than Russian. They are usually pronounced with less lip strain.

We have 6 of them: [a], [y], [o], [e], [and], [s], in English there are 12 of them: / ɪ /, / ɪː /, / ʌ /, / ɑː / , / æ /, / ɛ /, / ɜː /, / ɒ /, / ɔː /, / ʊ /, / ʊː /, / ə /.

English sounds generally come in two flavors:
short and long: / ɪ / and / ɪː /, / ɒ / and / ɔː /, / ʊ / and / ʊː / light and deeper: / ʌ / and / ɑː /

open and closed: / æ / and / ɛ /

Unique English vowel sounds:
/ æ/ Is a cross between A and E
/ ɜː / (soft O) — a cross between O and Yo
/ Ə / — weak schwa (extremely weak sound, a cross between A, O, E — pronounced in most unstressed syllables).

In English, our compound vowel sounds e [ye], yo [yo], yu [yu], i [ya] are absent, but there are diphthongs

English diphthongs are double sounds / aɪ / (time), / eɪ / (space), / ɔɪ / (boil) / ɛə / (care), / əʊ / (know) / aʊ / (now) / ɪə / (fear), and / ʊə / (priest).

The first diphthong sound is pronounced more clearly than the second. That is why we often have a hard time hearing or confuse words with diphthongs when listening.

English consonants often differ in their pronunciation, even sounds similar to Russian

In Russian there are as many as 36 consonant sounds (with 21 letters), but in English there are only 24. It is important to remember that even such sounds (for example, / p / or / d / pronounced differently than in Russian — see the table below for details).

Unique English consonant sounds:
/ w / — semi-vowel sound, a cross between U and B
/ ð / и / θ / — interdental sound (voiceless and voiced variations), a cross between B and Z (F and C in a voiceless variation)
/ ŋ / — nasal H

The main difference between the pronunciation of Russian and English consonants is that in Russian we often deafen the final consonants (for example, year and goth may sound the same), but English doesn’t. It is important to remember this, as we can confuse pairs of words (for example, bed — bet) and it is difficult to hear final consonants.

Also, the so-called «Clusters» — combinations of several consonants inside or at the joints of words. Words like three, sixth and others can cause pronunciation problems.

I recommend using the interactive sound table or the Cambridge mobile app to practice pronunciation and accent.

The same letter can represent several sounds, depending on the position in the word

The biggest challenge in learning English is mastering its reading rules.

Despite the fact that there are only 26 letters in the English alphabet (in contrast to the Russian 33), learning to read words and phrases in English is not so easy.

1 / Vowel sounds in the alphabet have a so-called «open» pronunciation, which is different from other European languages.

How to read the sounds of the English alphabet

2 / Vowel sounds in stressed words are read differently, depending on the type of syllable in which they stand.

3 / Unstressed vowel sounds are pronounced with a very weak sound schwa / ə /.

This sound is so weak that we often simply cannot hear it. In our English pronunciation, we often pronounce it too intensely.

For example, a word vegetable pronounced not VEDGETABL with the same intensity of all sounds, but / vedʒt (ə) b (ə) l /, that is, after a clear stressed syllable VE, there are reduced syllables, all the sounds of which are read with schwa, and they are almost inaudible (and often not at all).

I will tell you more about this feature of English stress in the article «How to learn to understand English by ear».

4 / Many vowels and consonants in writing are indicated by letter combinations that need to be remembered.

Errors in pronunciation lead to problems with listening to fast English speech. I recommend purchasing our «The Complete Guide to Reading Rules»… It will help fill in the gaps in your knowledge of pronunciation rules and help you avoid common mistakes.

Pronunciation and reading of vowels

Sound	Pronunciation feature	Typical combinations	Exception words
/ Ə /	A weak unstressed sound is a cross between a very weak A and E	Any vowel without stress, mostly a, o, u, e
/ ɪ /	«And short» Lips are slightly stretched in a semi-smile, tongue in front of the mouth. We pronounce light I.	i in a closed syllableif, film,hise in endingsdancees, started	owomeneEnglish, decideawoolage, chocolateate
/ ɪː /	«And long» Lips are slightly stretched, tongue in front of the mouth. We pronounce a long I. We do not strain our lips.	eesee,sleepmost words with easea, RESPONSIVEead, eat,pleasee in open syllabletree, be,these	i under stress in borrowed wordsdoine, policeiefie

Source: https://stordar.ru/angliiskie-zvuki/

The first sounds of diphthongs

[Iq] — the first sound in this diphthong approximately resembles a sound [I].

[eq], [eI] — the first sound in these two diphthongs may differ slightly depending on the dialect, but to make it easier we will put it in correspondence with the vowel [e].

[au], [aI] — it should be borne in mind that the sign that denotes the first sound is different from the signs that denote sounds [AND] и [R]… And for a reason, because the first sound of these diphthongs is something in between these sounds.

[qu] — This diphthong has significant differences in sound in the UK and America. In Britain, the first sound is sound [IN], but shorter and more open (resembling a cross between the sound [IN] and sound [q], but always under stress). In American English, the first sound in this diphthong resembles [O] and is usually denoted [Where].

[OI] — the first sound in the diphthong roughly corresponds to the sound [O].

[uq] — the first sound of a diphthong is a cross between sounds [at] и [H].

And consider the second sounds of diphthongs (we repeat that in no case should they be stressed).

Second sounds of diphthongs

[aI], [eI], [OI] — the second sound in these diphthongs is a short and unstressed sound [I]. But in fact it has no differences from the same short and unaccented sound [j]. Therefore, these diphthongs are close in their sound to [hey] in the Russian word «sheika», [ay] — in the Russian word «T-shirt» and [oh] — in the Russian word «puff».

[ou], [qu], [au] — the second sound in these diphthongs is the unstressed sound [u]

[eq] (it is often denoted as [Fq]), [uq], [Iq] — in these diphthongs, the second sound is the sound [q] (we remind you that it is always unstressed). Despite the fact that in the American version of the English language in these diphthongs, this sound is often not pronounced and just a vowel sound is obtained.

So, already from the writing itself, we can approximately see how diphthongs should be pronounced in English, and the correct sound is achieved by practical training in communicating with native speakers.

The first sounds in diphthongs are usually similar to short vowels, but at the same time they also have similarities with Russian vowels [a], [and], [y] (even the English diphthong [qu], which differs from Russian sounds, in American English has similarities to Russian [oh]). For example, because the first sound of diphthongs [au] and [aI] is the middle sound between [A] and [R], then this sound is very close to the sound [a] in Russian.

The second sounds of diphthongs in English should be pronounced without accentuation, stress, and they also have little differences from the thus pronounced sounds [a], [y], [y] (it is only important that the stressed Russian sound [y] does not turn out).

Watch a helpful video on this topic:

Source: https://www.comenglish.ru/diftongi-v-anglijskom-yazyke/

Continuing with my syllable series, learn what a vowel team syllable is and how to teach it using multisensory methods.

You can find all my syllable posts here. And you can read The 6 Types of Syllables here, where I explain what a syllable is, how to count syllables, and go over the 6 syllable types.

What is a vowel team syllable?

A vowel team syllable, also known as a vowel digraph or diphthong syllable, is a syllable with two vowels working together to make one sound.

It’s important to notice whether a vowel combination is reversed such as io in lion. In this case, you split the syllable between the i and o as this is not a vowel team.

Vowel Digraphs and Vowel Diphthongs

A digraph is when two letters spell one sound, and diphthongs are a special kind of vowel sound. So all vowel teams are digraphs but some are also diphthongs.

Vowel diphthongs are known as sliding sounds. These include oi/ow like in oil/boy and ow/ou like in cow/loud. They still make one sound but it’s not as clear or familiar, as the sound slides from the first vowel into the second. If you look in the mirror as you make a diphthong sound, you’ll notice the shape of your mouth changes.

Here are all the different types of vowel digraphs:

• Long A Vowel Teams: ai, ay, ea, eigh, ey
• Long E Vowel Teams: ee, ea, ey, ei, ie
• Long I Vowel Teams: ie, igh
• Long O Vowel Teams: oa, oe
• Long U Vowel Teams: ew, ue, eu
• Diphthong Vowel Teams: oi, oy, ou, ow, au, aw, oo

Unpredictable Vowel Teams

It’s also important to note that some vowel teams almost always make the same sound, but some make different sounds. For example, ai almost always makes the long a sound, but ea can make the long e, short e, or long a sound. These are known as unpredictable vowel teams.

Unpredictable vowel teams often follow spelling generalizations so these must be taught explicitly!

Vowel Team Words

You’ll see vowel teams and diphthongs in one syllable and multisyllabic words.

Many one syllable words include vowel teams so students don’t need to know how to do syllable division to start learning about this.

Here are some common vowel team words you can use to introduce the vowel team syllable:

You can download my long vowel word lists which include vowel team words for each long vowel sound for free by signing up below.

When should you teach the vowel team syllable?

This syllable is usually taught in first grade but it should be one of the last. Students should already be familiar with open, closed, final e, r-controlled, and consonant -le syllable types.

Teaching Vowel Team Syllables

As always, ensure you have students marking vowels and consonants when learning about syllables. This helps them see the syllable patterns so they can begin to break down words on their own.

Teach students the two vowels in a vowel team work together so they can’t be split up. The 2 vowels act like 1 vowel.

For vowel teams, I don’t have my students mark if it’s a long or short sound (with the breve or macron symbols), since you can’t do either with diphthongs. So I simply have them write a v below each vowel and draw a little scoop underneath that connects them to visualize that the 2 vowels make 1 sound.

Tips for teaching vowel teams:

Introduce vowel digraphs in isolation using phonogram cards or a sound wall.

Teach one vowel team at a time. This is especially important for struggling readers. I would focus on one pattern for at least 2 or 3 days until students can recognize them easily without prompting. Some students will need a week or longer.

Start with one syllable words then move on to multisyllabic words.

Use lots of visuals like color coding (same color for both vowels in a vowel team), letter tiles, phonogram cards, and posters like the one below.

Use etymology, teach homophones, and teach spelling generalizations to explain the different spelling patterns and rules.

For example, English words do not end in ‘u’ or ‘i’, which explains why some spelling patterns for vowel teams appear in the middle or end of the word.

Some kids get discouraged and confused because some patterns make more than one sound. Be sure to include some content to explain why this is the case so they don’t think “English is hard and doesn’t make sense and has all these exceptions!“

If they can understand why ea makes different sounds depending on the word, that will help them feel more confident in reading and spelling.

Teach vowel diphthongs last, and use mirrors so students can see how their mouth position changes. Focus on the most common vowel teams first like ea, ai, and ee. Diphthongs are a little trickier so save those for last. Using a mirror helps students correctly pronounce the sounds and notice slight differences.

In vowel teams, y and w act as vowels and not consonants. This is why when I introduce vowels I always say sometimes y and w act as vowels too.

I also avoid using that catchy little phrase “When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking” because it is not always true.

You can download the Vowel Team Syllable Poster (along with the other 5 syllable types) for free in my freebies library.

Vowel Team Syllable Activities

This bundle below includes all my activities for long vowels, which includes vowel teams for each long vowel sound. Learn more about it here.

Color Coding/Tracing/Isolating

One of the first activities I do when teaching a vowel digraph is to isolate that pattern in words with color coding. Provide students with a list of words with vowel teams and use a highlighter to trace the vowel team within the word. From there you can use a short decodable passage and ask them to read and trace all the vowel team syllables they can find.

Some other multisensory writing ideas include air writing, tracing, and sand trays.

Elkonin boxes

Have students use blocks to segment the sounds in words with vowel teams. Say or show the word and have students place a block in each box to represent each sound/phoneme. This helps them visualize vowel teams as one sound even though they contain 2 or more letters.

Students can also tap out the phonemes in a word as they spell it aloud.

Pictured below is my Winter Themed Word Mapping Mats that incorporate sound boxes, segmenting, blending, and writing all on one page.

Blending drills

Use phonogram cards or letter tiles that include vowel teams as one unit (instead of using separate a and e cards to make ea). The cards pictured below are available here.

Do Simultaneous Oral Spelling drills

Use SOS, a multisensory spelling strategy, to practice spelling words with vowel teams. Only use words with the vowel teams students already learned.

Review often by asking students how to spell vowel team sounds

For example, ask students “What says /ee/?” They should write/say all the different ways to spell the long e sound (only the ones they already learned) such as ee, ea, e_e, ei, ie, and ey. I would review this daily until they have learned them all. It only takes a few minutes and can be done orally with the whole class to save time.

Break apart multisyllable words

This would be one of the last activities I do with students once they are pretty strong with the vowel team. I like to write multisyllabic words with vowel teams on flashcards then have students follow the marking and splitting procedures (mark vowels, draw the scoop, split the word, cut along the split). You can do this with worksheets too.

Don’t forget to make it multisensory!

Remember that for struggling readers the multisensory aspect is critical. Regardless of the activity, incorporate at least 3 senses. If students are tracing, make sure they’re also vocalizing the sound. If students are blending using cards, again they can vocalize the sounds as they blend. You want them to see it, hear it, and write/touch it every time.

Want to remember this? Save All About The Vowel Team Syllable to your favorite Pinterest board!