The diphthongs, like your pair of shoes (one for the left foot and the other for the right foot), are a pair of sounds. They are a pair of sounds that are pronounced together as a sound, not two! To pronounce the diphthongs correctly, you have to drag the pronunciation (longer) a bit. They are eight (8) in number. Let's discuss each of them.
/ eɪ /
It is pronounced just the same way you pronounce letter 'a', if pronounced correctly. You may pronounce it as HAY!
'a' bake, take, rake, lake, grade
'ay' say, day, lay, way, bay
'ai' wait, braid, brain, gain, nail
'ea' great, break, steak
'eigh' weight, neighbour, vein, reign
1. / eɪ / is pronounced in the following words: FETE, DATA, GAOL (not goal).
data is to be pronounced DAYTA
fete is to be pronounced as FAIT[h]
gaol is to be pronounced JAIL
/ eɪ / is pronounced in the word, say (plural verb) and says (singular verb). The (plural) verb, say is pronounced / seɪ /. However, the (singular) verb, says is pronounced / sez /. So, read the following to your teacher: my soul says yes; says yes; says yeeeeees; our souls say yes…
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. great
A. bread
B. team
C. year
D. break
2. lane
A. bark
B. shame
C. palace
D. attack
3. waist
A. says
B. meat
C. brake
D. beat
4. tame
A. plait
B. reign
C. heavy
D. leaf
5. waive
A. kid
B. lake
C. deaf
D. germ
/ ǝʊ /
It is pronounced just the same way you pronounce letter 'o', if pronounced correctly. You may pronounce it as OH!
'o' oh, no, hope, comb, joke, cold
'ow' sow, know, show, throw, owe, own
'oa' load, coat, boat, toad, toast, coat
'oe' hoe, goes, toe, doe
/ ǝʊ / is also pronounced in the following words: sew, sewn, though, although
dough, doughnut
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. coat
A. hot
B. woke
C. taught
D. coarse
2. know
A. how
B. show
C. allow
D. brow
3. hoe
A. laugh
B. ghost
C. dough
D. draught
4. load
A. few
B. pew
C. sew
D. dew
5. no
A. how
B. blow
C. raw
D. hot
/ aɪ /
It is pronounced just the same way you pronounce letter 'i', if pronounced correctly. You may pronounce it as HI/EYE!
'i' line, hide, five, life, kite
'ry' cry, shy, my, style, fly
'uy' buy, guy
height, bright, light
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. tie
A. chief
b. relief
C. buy
D. belief
2. high
A. ghost
B. want
C. light
D. hither
3. shy
A. lorry
B. carry
C. baby
D. wright
4. tight
A. bait
B. bite
C. bit
D. bitch
5. dye
A. police
B. give
C. five
D. bright
/ ↄɪ /
It is pronounced OY.
'oy' boy, toy, joy, annoy, boy
'oi' spoil, noise, boil, join, soil
boy, buoy
/ aʊ /
Pronounce as HOW.
'ow' cow, now, wow, down, town
'ou' loud, shout, house, mouth, ground
/ aʊ / is pronounced in the following words: drought, fountain, mount, plough
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. town
A. round
B. too
C. toe
D. low
2. shout
A. tough
B. should
C. drought
D. mould
3. loud
A. plough
B. caught
C. carve
D. goat
4. cow
A. fount
B. bought
C. could
D. soul
5. out
A. cough
B. bought
C. goat
D. mount
/ ɪǝ /
It is to be pronounced EAR.
'ear' ear, near, dear, appear, rear, clear
'eer' deer, cheer, beer, sheer, cheer
'ere' here, mere, sincere
'ea' idea, real
'ior' inferior, superior, serious
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. cheer
A. dare
B. wear
C. Bea
D. mere
2. hear
A. swear
B. bear
C. pear
D. fear
3. here
A. bear
B. steer
C. steel
D. fare
/ eǝ /
It is to be pronounced AIR.
'are' care, dare, fare, ware, bare
'ear' wear, swear, pear, bear
'air' pair, chair, fair, hair
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. fair
A. sheer
B. here
C. heir
D. fear
2. fare
A. cheer
B. bier
C. pair
D. here
3. fair
A. dear
B. hear
C. bier
D. rare
/ ʊǝ /
pronounced in the following words: pure, cure, lure, tour, jury, etc.
From the words lettered A to D, choose the word that has the same vowel sound as the one represented by the letter(s) underlined.
1. gourd
A. power
B. cure
C. hope
D. guard
2. tour
A. poor
B. bare
C. doer
D. dear
3. actual
A. torn
B. cope
C. few
D. lure
The blogger, Olabanji O. Odurombi, can be contacted via text, call, or WhatsApp on 08037699294.
0 Comments