Journal Title

LONG VOWELS, DIPHTHONGS, AND TRIPHTHONGS

Authors
Lastri putriani harni,
Keywords
Long Vowels, Diphthongs, and Trihthongs

Abstract
In previous session we have learn and discuss about The Production of Speech Sounds.
In this chapter we will discuss more about Long Vowels, diphthongs, and Triphthongs. The first
long vowel are the vowels which tend to be longer than the short vowels in the similatr context.
The second Diphthongs is a sound which consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to
another. Diphthongs are like the long vowels but its longer and stronger then the long vowels it
self. The third triphthongs is the most complex english sound of the vowel type they can be rather
difficult to pronounce and very difficult to recognise.

Introduction
This chapter will explain more about long vowels, diphthongs, and triphtongs. How to
use or pronounce the long vowels, diphthongs, and triphthongs also how to recognise them.
Because of notoriously confusing nature of English spelling it is particularly important to learn

about english pronounciation rather than letters of the alphabet this part is also concern as model
of learning.
Vowels differ from consonants in two very important ways: they are articulated without
any kind of obstruction in the oral cavity i.e., the articulators do not form a complete or partial
closure or a narrowed passage in the way of the exhaled air. On the other hand, vowels differ
from consonants in their behaviour, too: while consonants typically occur in syllable marginal
positions they appear at the peripheries of the syllable , vowels form the very core of the
syllable and occur in syllable central position.
phonetic classes may be defined in the english vowel system. in
some vowels the positionvery now!get the best info about your search on
verywww.fooffa.comclick herexad by safeweb of the tonguevery now!get the
best info about your search on verywww.fooffa.comclick herexad by safeweb
is

relatively

stable

during

articulation;

such

vowels

are

called

monophthongs. In other vowels, though, the position that the tongue

occupies at the beginning of the vowel differs significantly from what it
occupies at the end of the vowel; i.e., The phonology of English vowels: an
introduction some tongue movement is involved. Such vowels are referred to
as diphthongs (and triphthongs). We may also think of this difference as a
difference in how many vowels are found within one syllable though that
triphthongs are not found in all dialects of English: those dialects that
pronounce all underlying /r/'s the so-called rhotic dialects, cf.

Discussion
A. Long Vowels
The first to be introduced here are the five long vowels. These are the vowels wich tend
to be longer than the short vowels in similar contexts. The length of all english vowel sound
varies very much according to the context the presence or absence of stress. The symbol consist

of one vowels plus length mark made of two dots :. Thus we have : i:, , , , u:. We will now
look at these long vowels individually.

the back opposite the soft palate

the centre opposite the meeting point of hard and soft palate
the front opposite the hard palate
the blade the tapering area facing the ridge of teeth
the tip the extreme end of the tongue
The first three of these (back, centre and front) are known together as the dorsum (which is Latin
for
backbone or spine)

1. i:
This vowels to cardinal vowel no. I (i) than the short I vowel of bid, pin, fish. The lips
are only slightly spread and this results in a rather different vowel quality. Example beat, mean,
peace.
2.
This is a central vowels which well known in most english accents as a hesitation sound,
but wich many foreigners find difficult to copy. the lip position is neutral. example bird, fern,
purse.
3.
This is an open vowel in the region of cardinal vowel , but not us back as this. The lip
position is neutral. Example card, half, pass.
4.
The tongue height for this vowel is between cardinal vowel no. 6 ( ) and no. 7 (o). The
vowel is almost fully back and has quite strong lip rounding. Example board, torn, horse.

5. u:
This vowel is not very different from cardinal vowel no. 8 (u), but is not quite so close,
and the lips are only moderately rounded. Example food, soon, loose.
All the long vowels have symbols wich are different from the short vowels, different
quality and as well as length. The long and short vowels symbol would still all be different from
each other even if we omitted the length mark, so it is important to remember that the length
mark is usednot because it essential but because it helps learners to remember the length
difference.

B. Diphthongs
Diphthongs is a sound wich consists of a movement or glide from one vowel to another.
A vowels which remain constans and does not glide is called a pure vowel and one of tthe most
common pronounciation mistakes that results in a learner of english having a foreign accent is
the production of pure vowels where diphthong should be pronounced.
In terms of length dhipthong are like the long vowels. Perhaps the most important thing is
all the diphthong is that the first part is much longer and stronger. Most of the diphthong consist
of the a vowel, and only in about the last quarter of the diphthong does the glide to begin. As the
glide to happens the loudness of the sound decreases. As the result, the part is shorter and quieter.
The last part of the diphthong must not be made strongly.
The total number of diphthong is eight. The easiest way to remember them is in term of
three group divided as in the diagram below ;

centring
Ending in I
Ending in
closing
Ending in
DIPHTHONG
eI
I
I
I
e

The centring diphthongs glide towards the (schwa) vowel, as the symbol indicates.
1. I
The starting point is a little closer than I in bit, bin. Example beard, Ian, fierce.

2. e
This diphthong begins with the same vowel sound as the e of get, men. Example aired,
cairn, scarce.
3.
This has a starting point slightly closer than in put and pull. Example moored and tour.

The closing diphthongs has a characteristic they all end with a glide towards a closer
vowel. Because the second part of the diphthong is weak, they often do not reach a position that
could be called close. The important thing is that a glide from a relatively more open towards a
relatively close vowel is produced. Three of the diphthongs glide towards I, as described below ;
1. eI
The starting point is the same as the e of get and men. Example paid, pain, and face.
2. I
This diphthong begin with an open vowel which is between front and back it is quite
similar to the of the word cut and bun. Example tide, time, and nice.
3. I
The first part of this diphthong has the same qulity as in ought and born. Example
void, loin, and voice.

Two diphthong glide toward , so that asthe tongue moves closer to the mouth there is at
the same time a rounding movement of the lips. This movement is not a large one, again
becausethe second partof the diphthong is weak.

1.
The vowel position for the beginning of this is the same as for the scwa vowel as found
in the first syllable of the word about. The lips might be slightly rounded in anticipation of the
glide towards , for which there is quite niticeable lip rounding. Example load, home, and most.

2. a

This diphthong begins with a vowel similar to but a litlle more front. Since this is an
open vowel, a glide to would necessitate a large movement. Usually in english the glide toward
begin but it is not completed, the end of the diphthong being somewhere between half open
and half closein tongue height. There is only slight lip rounding. Example loud, gown, and
house.

C. Triphthongs
The most complex english sound of the vowel type are the triphthongs. They can be
rather difficult to pronounce and very difficult to recognise. A triphthong is a glide from one
vowel to another and then to a third, all produced rapidly and without interuption. A carefull
pronounciation of the word hour begins with a vowel quality similar to goes on to a glide
towards the back close the rounded area, then end with a mid central vowel. We use the symbol
a to represent the way we pronounce hour but this is not always accurate representation of
the pronounciation.
The triphthong can be looked on his being composed of the five closing diphthongs
described in the last section, with added on the end thus we get :
eI + = eI
aI + = aI
I + = I
+ =
a + = a
the principal cause of difficulty for the foreign learner is that in present day english the
extent of the vowel movement is very small, except in very careful pronounciation. Because of

yhis, the middle of the three vowel qualities of the triphthong can hardly heard and the resulting
sound is difficult to distinguish from some of the diphthongs and long vowels.
There is so much variation in amount of vowel movement according to how slow and
careful the pronounciation is and also because the careful pronounciation can be found by
looking at the descriptiong of the corresponding diphthong and adding to the end. Example :
-

eI = layer and player

aI = liar and fire
I = loyal and royal
= lower and mower
a = power and hour

CONCLUSION
There are five kind of long vowels these are the vowels which tends to be longer than the
short vowel in similar. The length of all english vowel sounds varies very much according to
context and the presence and absence of stress. Diphthong is a sound which consist of a
movement or glide from one vowel to another and the diphthong has 8 type. Triphthong is a glide
from one vowel to another and then to a third and ir has 5 type.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Roach,Peter. (1991) English Phonetics and Phonology.Cambridge University Press
The phonology of English vowels
Andrew Moore, 2001.http://www.shunsley.eril.net/armoore/