TRIPHTHONG

In phonetics, a 'triphthong' (Greek ''τρίφθογγος'', "triphthongos", literally "with three sounds," or "with three tones") is a monosyllabic vowel combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another that passes over a third one. While "pure" vowels, or ''monophthongs'', are said to have one target tongue position, triphthongs have a moving tongue.

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Examples

See also

Examples

Monosyllabic triphthongs stressed on the 'first' element in Bernese German (a Swiss German dialect) and in Latvian:

★ [] as in ''Gieu'' 'boy'

★ [] as in ''Gfüeu'' 'feeling'

★ [] as in ''Schueu'' 'school'

★ [] as in ''Müej'' 'trouble'
In Latvian:

★ [] as in ''tie'' ['tiea] 'they'

★ [] as in ''kuo'' ['kuoa] 'what'
Monosyllabic triphthongs stressed on the 'second' element in Spanish:

★ [] as in ''buey'' 'ox'

★ [] as in ''Uruguay''
and in Standard Mandarin Chinese:

★ [] as in 快 ''kuài'' 'fast'

★ [] as in 回 ''huéi'' (pinyin spelling: ''huì'') 'return'

★ [] as in 票 ''piào'' 'ticket'

★ [] as in 六 ''liòu'' (pinyin spelling: ''liù'') 'six'
Monosyllabic triphthongs stressed on the 'third' element in Romanian (semivocalic phonemes marked with reversed circumflex accents):

★ [] as in ''pleoape'' 'eyelids'

★ [] as in ''creioane'' 'pencils'
The following British Received Pronunciation vowel sequences are sometimes analyzed as triphthongs stressed on the first element (they are also analyzed as disyllabic sequences of a diphthong and a monophthong):

★ [] as in ''hour''

★ [] as in ''fire''

★ [] as in ''player''

★ [] as in ''loyal, royal''

★ [] as in ''lower''

See also

★ List of phonetics topics

★ Diphthong