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23/04/2026
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Conditional sentences
15/12/2025
Monophthongs vs Diphthongs
🔹 MONOPHTHONGS (Pure vowels)
A monophthong is a single, pure vowel sound.
Your mouth stays in one position from the beginning to the end of the sound.
Examples (British English IPA):
▪︎Short vowels
/ɪ/ as in sit
/e/ as in bed
/æ/ as in cat
/ɒ/ as in lot
/ʊ/ as in put
/ʌ/ as in cup
/ə/ as in about (schwa)
▪︎Long vowels
/iː/ as in see
/ɑː/ as in car
/ɔː/ as in law
/uː/ as in food
/ɜː/ as in nurse
✅ Total monophthongs: 12
🔹 DIPHTHONGS (Gliding vowels)
A diphthong is a vowel glide:
The sound starts in one vowel position and moves to another within the same syllable.
You make two vowel targets, but they blend into one sound.
Examples (British English IPA):
/eɪ/ as in face
/aɪ/ as in price
/ɔɪ/ as in choice
/aʊ/ as in mouth
/əʊ/ as in goat
/ɪə/ as in near
/eə/ as in square
/ʊə/ as in tour (becoming rare in modern BrE)
✅ Total diphthongs: 8
✍ Summary
Monophthongs: 12
Diphthongs: 8
Total vowel sounds in BrE: 20
25/05/2025
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