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Monophthong

A monophthong is a vowel sound pronounced as a single, unchanging sound, without any significant change in quality or length. In other words, it is a single vowel sound that remains constant throughout its pronunciation. In contrast, diphthongs are vowel sounds that involve a gradual change in quality and length, such as the "oi" sound in "boil" or the "au" sound in "caught". Monophthongs are an important element of the English language, and their use can affect the way words are pronounced and understood.

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Monophthong

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A monophthong is a vowel sound pronounced as a single, unchanging sound, without any significant change in quality or length. In other words, it is a single vowel sound that remains constant throughout its pronunciation. In contrast, diphthongs are vowel sounds that involve a gradual change in quality and length, such as the "oi" sound in "boil" or the "au" sound in "caught". Monophthongs are an important element of the English language, and their use can affect the way words are pronounced and understood.

The word monophthong comes from the Greek “mono”, which means “one”, and “-phthong”, which means “tone” or “sound”. So monophthong means “one sound” or “single sound”.

Monophthongs are sometimes called pure vowels.

English monophthongs: list

There are 12 monophthongs in English. Review the list below as well as some examples of when they are used and how they are pronounced in everyday words.

Examples of Monopthongs in English
MonophtongsExamplePronunciation
[ɪ]lip /lɪp/ Pronounced in the front part of the vocal tract, with the tongue half-closed to the roof of the mouth and the lips in a spread position.
[i:]sheep /ʃiːp/Articulated in the front part of the vocal tract, with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth and the lips in a spread position.
[ʊ]cook /kʊk/Produced in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue close to the back of the roof of the mouth and the lips in a rounded position.
[u:]fool /fuːl/Articulated in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth and the lips in a rounded position.
[e]ten /ten/ Produced in the central part of the vocal tract, with the tongue close to the roof of the mouth and the lips in a rounded position.
[ɜ:]girl /gɜːl/Pronounced in the central part of the vocal tract, with the tongue partly opened and the lips in an unrounded position.
[ə]among /əˈmʌŋ/Articulated in the central part of the vocal tract, with the lips partly opened.
[ɔ:]cord /kɔːd/ Articulated in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue partly opened and the lips in a rounded position.
[ɑ:]bard /bɑːd/ Pronounced in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue completely open and low in the mouth, and the lips in a spread position.
[ɒ]fog /fɒg/Produced in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue open and low in the mouth, and in a rounded position.
[ʌ]nut /nʌt/Pronounced in the back part of the vocal tract, with the tongue half-open and the lips in an unrounded position.
[æ]man /mæn/Articulated in the front part of the vocal tract, with the tongue half-open and the lips in a spread position.

Monophthong table of the 12 monophthongs Vaia Fig. 1 - There are 12 monophthongs in the English language.

The characteristics of monophthongs

  • Monophthongs can be found in any part of a word. However, they are often found in the middle of a word.
  • You can find monophthongs at the beginning and end of a word. For example, in words like after, and lazy.
  • Monophthongs are also divided into long and short.

Examples of monophthongs

There are two types of monopthongs: long and short monophthongs. The following examples of monopthongs show the importance of understanding the distinction between long and short monophthongs for proper pronunciation in English. These examples show how the pronunciation of monophthongs can affect the meaning of words and the clarity of communication.

Long monophthongs

Long monophthongs are vowels with long pronunciation. There are 5 long vowels:

  • /a:/ as in calm.
  • /u:/ as in cool.
  • /i:/ as in leap.
  • /3:/ as in turn.
  • /ɔ:/ as in all.

Short monophthongs

Short monophthongs are vowels with a 'short' sound, which means that they are not extended sounds. Compare the vowel sound in eat and sit for example. The first is long and the second is short. There are 7 short vowels:

  • /ɪ/ as in sit.
  • /ʊ/ as in boot.
  • /e/ as in bed.
  • /ə/ as in letter.
  • /æ/ as in rat.
  • /ʌ/ as in bus.
  • /ɒ/ as in pot.

Try pronouncing a couple of words in the lists above while looking in the mirror. Focus on the way you move your mouth and the position of your tongue. Try pronouncing heat, hit, hat, and hot. Notice how the movement of the mouth changes, from a spread position to a rounded one.

Other than the transcription, a good way of telling monophthongs and diphthongs apart comes from the pronunciation. When pronouncing a diphthong, your mouth should create two distinct shapes without closing. For example, when pronouncing the word beer, your mouth should change from a spread shape to an open shape.

Monophthongs and diphthongs

The differences between monophthongs and diphthongs are:

  • A monophthong is when there is only one vowel sound in a syllable. A diphthong is the combination of two vowel sounds together.
  • Monophthongs are transcribed with the International Phonetic Alphabet, with just one symbol, for example [ʊ]. While diphthongs are transcribed with two symbols, for example [aʊ].

Monophthong - Key takeaways

  • A monophthong is a pure vowel sound that has a single auditory occurrence.
  • There are twelve monophthongs in English.
  • An example of a monophthong in English is the vowel sound /æ/ as in the word "cat". This sound is pronounced as a single, unchanging vowel sound without any significant change in quality or length.
  • Monophthongs are divided into long and short monopthongs.
  • A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds together.

Frequently Asked Questions about Monophthong

Examples of monophthongs are the [ə] in about, [ʌ] in one, and [ʊ] in put.

There are twelve monophthongs in English.

Monophthongs can be pronounced differently based on the movement of the tongue and the position of the lips. For example, the monophthong [ɪ] is pronounced in the front-central part of the vocal tract, with the lips half closed and in a spread position.

A monophthong is when there is only one vowel sound in a syllable. A diphthong is a combination of two vowel sounds together.

A monophthong is a single vowel sound.

Final Monophthong Quiz

Monophthong Quiz - Teste dein Wissen

Question

Which word contains a monophthong?

Show answer

Answer

fun

Show question

Question

 True or false: Monophthongs are transcribed with two symbols. 

Show answer

Answer

False: Monophthongs are transcribed with one symbol, while diphthongs are transcribed with two symbols.

Show question

Question

Which word contains a monophthong?


Show answer

Answer

horse

Show question

Question

What does “monophthong” mean?


Show answer

Answer

The word monophthong comes from the Greek language, and it means “one sound”.

Show question

Question

What is a diphthong?


Show answer

Answer

A diphthong is the combination of two different monophthongs within a syllable.

Show question

Question

Which word contains a monophthong?


Show answer

Answer

 bed

Show question

Question

Which monophthong is a back mid-open rounded vowel?

Show answer

Answer

[ɔ:]  

Show question

Question

Which monophthong is a front half-open unrounded vowel?


Show answer

Answer

[æ]

Show question

Question

Which monophthong is a back half-closed rounded vowel?

Show answer

Answer

[ʊ]

Show question

Question

Which word contains a monophthong? 


Show answer

Answer

shoot

Show question

Question

Why are monophthongs also called pure vowels?


Show answer

Answer

Monophthongs are also called pure vowels because there is no alteration of the tongue position, and the vowel stays pure.

Show question

Question

True or false: The monophthong [ɒ] is a back open rounded vowel. 


Show answer

Answer

True!

Show question

Question

True or false: The monophthong [ɜ:] is a central mid-close rounded vowel. 


Show answer

Answer

False: The monophthong [ɜ:] is a central mid-open unrounded vowel. However, the monophthong [e] is a central mid-close rounded vowel.

Show question

Question

True or false: The monophthong [ʌ] is a back half-open unrounded vowel.


Show answer

Answer

True!

Show question

Question

True or false: Monophthongs can only be short vowels.


Show answer

Answer

False: Monophthongs can be short and long vowels.

Show question

Question

How many monophthongs are there in the English language?

Show answer

Answer

12

Show question

Question

What two types can monophthongs be divided into?

Show answer

Answer

Long and short

Show question

Question

How are long monophthongs written?

Show answer

Answer

With a colon after the IPA symbol. E.g. / a: /

Show question

Question

How many long monophthongs are there in English?

Show answer

Answer

5

Show question

Question

How many short monophthongs are there in English?

Show answer

Answer

7

Show question

Test your knowledge with multiple choice flashcards

Which word contains a monophthong?

Which word contains a monophthong?

Which word contains a monophthong?

Next

Flashcards in Monophthong20

Start learning

Which word contains a monophthong?

fun

 True or false: Monophthongs are transcribed with two symbols. 

False: Monophthongs are transcribed with one symbol, while diphthongs are transcribed with two symbols.

Which word contains a monophthong?


horse

What does “monophthong” mean?


The word monophthong comes from the Greek language, and it means “one sound”.

What is a diphthong?


A diphthong is the combination of two different monophthongs within a syllable.

Which word contains a monophthong?


 bed

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