becomes [bar]. This is one of the forms heard in careless

New York speech.

The second element is occasionally a sound in the phoneme [j], [bor] being heard as [bi] or [bnj].

II. DIPHTHONGS ENDING IN [ə]

The second group of diphthongs have the neutral vowel [ə] as the second element.

This diphthong, the vowel in ear, begins with the vowel [1] and has for its off-glide the neutral [ə].

Phonetic Symbol: [10]

Diacritical Mark: (ē) 16

Spellings: ea as in idea, ee as in sheer, ie as in tier, e as in here.

The tense form [i] is often substituted for the more lax [1], so that [1ǝ(r)] (ear) becomes [iə(r)].

The front of the tongue is sometimes too low when the first element is sounded, so that it is heard as [e] or [ɛ], [1ǝ(r)] being heard as [eǝ(r)].

The second element [ə] is frequently inverted, [1ǝ(r)] becoming [1a] or [1ǝr].

This is the diphthong heard in the word bear, having a lowered form of the vowel [ɛ] as its first element and [ə] as the off-glide.

Phonetic Symbol: [ɛə]

Diacritical Mark: (â)

Spellings: a as in fare, ai as in air, ea as in pear, ei as in heir, e as in there.

16 The diacritical mark for this sound completely misrepresents it. For instance, the word fear is pronounced in Webster's Dictionary fer, without an off-glide from the ē to the r, which is practically impossible.

In making the first element of this diphthong the front of the tongue is sometimes lowered to the area of the [æ] phoneme; [beǝ(r)] (bear) is then heard as [bæə(r)].

This diphthong, like the one preceding, is often inverted, [bɛə(r)] becoming [beǝ] or [beǝr].

[Dǝ] or [oǝ]

The diphthong, heard in the word bore, has for its second element the neutral vowel [ə], but the first element may be either [p] or [o]. Thus bore may be pronounced [bnǝ(r)] or [boa(r)].

Phonetic Symbols: [pǝ], [oǝ]

Diacritical Mark: (ō)

Spellings: oa as in oar, o as in more, oo as in floor, ou as in pour.

This diphthong is frequently inverted, [bnə(r)] or [boǝ(r)] being heard as [boǝr] or [boǝr].

The second element [ə] is sometimes made with the middle of the tongue lowered to the position for the phoneme [A], [boǝ] (bore) being heard as [bda].

[ခ]

The diphthong in boor is made up of the two elements [v] and [ə].

Phonetic Symbol: [uǝ]

Diacritical Mark: (00)

Spellings: oo as in boor, u as in lure, ou as in tour.

The first element [u], is often made with too great a degree of tension of the back of the tongue and the lips, resulting in a substitution of [u] for [u]; [bʊə(r)] (boor) is then heard as [buǝ(r)].

Like the other diphthongs ending in the neutral vowel, [və] is frequently inverted, [bʊə(r)] becoming [bʊə] or [bʊər].

[ʊǝ] may be replaced by [oǝ] or [ə], [pʊə] (poor) becoming [poə(r)] or [poǝ(r)]. The pronunciation [ppǝ(r)] is used by many careful speakers so that it is recognized in England and in some parts of America as an acceptable variant, but the form [poǝ(r)] is generally felt as provincial.

III. DIPHTHONGS ENDING IN [U]

The third group of diphthongs have [u] as their second element.

[av]

This is the diphthong heard in the word bough. The first element is [a] and the second [u].

Phonetic Symbol: [av]

Diacritical Marks: (ou), (ow)

Spellings: ou as in bough, ow as in now, au as in sauerkraut.

The first element in this diphthong, [a], is frequently replaced by [a] or [æ] or even [e], in which case [bar] (bough) is heard as [baʊ], [bæʊ], or [beʊ]. These substitutions are often accompanied by nasalization of the diphthong, especially if it is preceded or followed by a nasal consonant, as in noun. The International Phonetic Association represents this diphthong by [aʊ].

The second element is sometimes heard as the tense [u] instead of the more lax [u], [bau] becoming [bau].

These two modifications in the elements may be combined, [baʊ] being heard as [bæu].

The second element may be absent entirely, the vowel in the word being then a pure one. Thus, [baʊ] may be heard as [ba]; or if there is a slight off-glide, it may be some form of the phoneme [ə], [baǝ].

Except perhaps [ar], no other diphthong is so often pronounced with poor tone quality. Most students require long practice on this sound to realize its possibilities for beauty.

[ou]

This diphthong, the vowel sound in the word beau, has for its first element [o] and its second [u].

Phonetic Symbol: [ou]

Diacritical Mark: (ō)

Spellings: o as in go, ow as in blow, ou as in soul, oa as in goat,

eau as in beau.

Although [o] in accented syllables is rarely pronounced without some diphthonization by English-speaking people, the simple vowel is sometimes substituted by foreigners for the diphthong, [boʊ] (beau) being heard as [bo]. This is generally described as a "tense" pronunciation of the diphthong.

The first element [o] may be replaced by [p], [a], [ǝ], or [A], giving to [boʊ] the pronunciations [boʊ], [baʊ], [bəʊ], or [baǝ].

The second element [u] may be replaced by the more tense [u], [boʊ] then being heard as [bou].

The arrows indicate the direction in which the tongue glides from the position of the first element to that of the second.

Diphthongs in Connected Speech

Good vowels are absolutely necessary to good speech, and there should be constant practice in making each vowel accurately and in prolonging it indefinitely without change in the position of the vocal organs. Not until the ability to do this has been acquired should the student practice diphthongs. In making these compound vowels it is important to gain perfect control of the lips as well as of the tongue. For instance, in the diphthong [DI] it is essential to unround the lips for the second element. Failure to do so gives a strong foreign accent to words containing this diphthong. A good exercise is to practice saying [DI], [DI], very rapidly before a mirror, being careful to unround the lips for each [1], while at the same time training the ear to distinguish the difference in sound. There is no better training for beauty and precision of speech than such practice in the rapid articulation of diphthongs.

When considered in relation to voice production, diphthongs present an even greater problem than simple vowels in the establishment of good qualities of tone; for although each element may be correctly made when pronounced alone, the combination of front and back, lip-rounded and unrounded, tense and lax vowels presents new difficulties of enunciation which can be overcome only with practice and ear-training.

The effects produced by nasalization and inversion are most undesirable and must be eliminated if the tone quality is to be clear and smooth.

Delicacy, precision, and purity of tone in the enunciation of diphthongs may be regarded as one of the final tests of excellence in speech.