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Parameters for Describing the Diphthongs of the English Sound System When we speak English, we do not always use simple vowel sounds. Sometimes the voice starts from one vowel position and moves smoothly towards another vowel position within the same syllable. This moving vowel sound is called a diphthong . A simple example is the vowel sound in my /maɪ/. The sound does not stay in one place. It begins with /a/ and glides towards /ɪ/. That movement is what makes it a diphthong. In simple terms, a diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one vowel quality to another in one syllable (Roach, 2009; Ladefoged & Johnson, 2014). What Makes a Diphthong Different from a Pure Vowel? A pure vowel , also called a monophthong , has one steady sound. For example, the vowel in see /siː/ is fairly steady. The tongue and lips do not move much while the vowel is being pronounced. A diphthong , however, changes as it is spoken. The mouth begins in one position and moves towards another. F...

Parameters for Describing the Consonants of English  When we speak English, we use many different consonant sounds. These are sounds like /p/, /b/, /t/, /d/, /s/, /z/, /m/, /n/ and /ʃ/. A consonant is usually made when the air from the lungs is blocked, stopped or squeezed somewhere in the mouth or throat. Linguists describe consonants by asking three simple questions: 1. Is the sound voiced or voiceless? This means: Do the vocal cords vibrate when we say the sound? Put your fingers gently on your throat and say /z/ as in zoo . You should feel a vibration. That means /z/ is a voiced sound. Now say /s/ as in see . You should not feel the same vibration. That means /s/ is a voiceless sound. Some English sounds come in pairs. They are made in almost the same way, but one is voiced and the other is voiceless. Voiceless sound Voiced sound Examples /p/ /b/ pin /pɪn/ — bin /bɪn/ /t/ /d/ ten /ten/ — den /den/ /k/ /ɡ/ coat /kəʊt/ — goat /ɡəʊt/ /f/ /v/ fan /fæn/ — van /væn/ ...