Are there only 8 Diphthongs? This is a question I have recieved on my YouTube channel. Diphthongs are probably the most complicated of all the types of phonemes.
Marcel says:
It is an interesting question. But before I answer it remember this website is just about learning English as a foreign language and for that we look a little at the basics of phonetics to help with pronunciation.
8 Diphthongs in Phonetics
But phonetics is a huge subject in its own right, most of it is not going to be helpful for students who just trying to improve their English pronunciation. So to answer your question, there are more 2 more diphthongs that we use in English and there are also Triphthongs. However they are left off the phonetic chart because they are not so common. Including them in a chart designed for learners of English as a second language would be more confusing than helpful.
Diphthongs for Learners of English
So Marcel if you are studying phonetics to help with pronunciation, the answer is no, think of it as just 8 diphthongs. If you are studying Phonetics for another reason the answer is 10 or more. To be honest I am not really sure, because I am not really an expert in phonetics. I just know a little about what is helpful for people learning English. However, the subject of Phonetics and Diphthongs is much bigger than what we need to know.
So, thanks for the question.
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