DIPHTHONGS

There are five vowels and twenty one vowel sounds in English. The short and long vowel sounds together make 12 monophthongs and sliding vowels (diphthongs) are nine in number.

The monophthongs are twelve in number and are -

1. / ɪ /  (short vowel sound of ɪ)             e.g. pit, bit, hit

2. / ɪ: / (long vowel sound of ɪ)              e.g. me, see, key 

3. / e / (short vowel sound of e )            e.g. egg, leg, beg

4. / æ / (long vowel sound of æ)            e.g. pat, cat, hat

5. / ɑ: / (long vowel sound of ɑ:)             e.g. car, jar, par

6. / ɒ /   (shortvowel sound of ɒ)             e.g. hot, pot, got

7. / ɔ: /  (long vowel sound of ɔ:)             e.g. all, doll, ball

8. / ʊ /  (short vowel sound of  ʊ)            e.g. hood, wood, should

9. / u: /  (long vowel sound of u:)             e.g. pool, cool, you 

10. / ʌ /  (short vowel sound of ʌ)            e.g. girl, pearl, ulcer

11. / ɜ: /  (long vowel sound of ɜ:)            e.g. fur, word, heard

12. / ə /  (short vowel sound of ə)            e.g. aloud, alone, gutter

Nine Diphthongs are : 

1. / eɪ /          e.g. name, date, bait

2. / əʊ /         e.g.  home, gone, moan 

3. / aɪ /          e.g. bye, my, sky

4. / ɑʊ /         e.g. now, how, brow

5. / ɔɪ /          e.g. boy, toy, joy

6. / ɪə /          e.g. here, dear, beer

7. / ɛə /          e.g. fair, dare, share

8. / ɔə /          e.g. board, hoard, pour

9. / ʊə /          e.g. your, pure, sure