Triphthong

In phonetics, a triphthong /ˈtrɪfθɒŋ/ (from Greek τρίφθογγος, "triphthongos", literally "with three sounds," or "with three tones") is a monosyllabic vowel combination involving a quick but smooth movement of the articulator from one vowel quality to another that passes over a third. While "pure" vowels, or monophthongs, are said to have one target articulator position, diphthongs have two, and triphthongs three.

Examples

First segment is the nucleus

English in British Received Pronunciation (monosyllabic triphthongs with R are optionally distinguished from sequences with disyllabic realizations)

• [aʊ̯ə̯] as in hour (compare with disyllabic "plougher" [aʊ̯.ə])
• [aɪ̯ə̯] as in fire (compare with disyllabic "higher" [aɪ̯.ə])
• [ɔɪ̯ə̯] as in "loir" (compare with final disyllabic sequence in "employer" [ɔɪ̯.ə])

As [eɪ̯] and [əʊ̯] become [ɛə̯] and [ɔː] respectively before //r//, all instances of [eɪ̯.ə] and [əʊ̯.ə] are words with the suffix "-er".

Bernese German (a Swiss German dialect):

• [iə̯u̯] as in Gieu 'boy'
• [yə̯u̯] as in Gfüeu 'feeling'
• [uə̯u̯] as in Schueu 'school'
• [yə̯i̯] as in Müej 'trouble'

Latvian:

• [ie̯a̯] as in tie [ˈtie̯a̯] 'they'^{[citation needed]}
• [uo̯a̯] as in ko [ˈkuo̯a̯] 'what'^{[citation needed]}

Northern Austro-Bavarian:

• [ɔu̯ɐ̯] as in /hɔu̯ɐ̯/ (MHG hâr) 'hair', or as in /ɔu̯ɐ̯/ (mhd. ôr) 'ear'
• [ɛi̯ə̯] as in /mɛi̯ə̯/ (MHG mêr) 'more'
• [ou̯ɐ̯] as in /ʃnou̯ɐ̯/ (MHG snuor) 'cord'
• [ei̯ə̯] as in /fei̯ə̯/ (MHG vier) 'four', or as in /ʃnei̯ə̯l/ (MHG snüerelîn) 'small cord'

The Northern Austro-Bavarian triphthongs have evolved from combinations of former long vowels or diphthongs from the Middle High German (MHG) period and vocalized r.

Second segment is the nucleus

Spanish:

• [u̯ei̯] as in buey 'ox'
• [u̯ai̯] as in Uruguay
• [i̯ai̯] as in cambiáis ('you [plural]change')
• [i̯ei̯] as in cambiéis ('that you may change')

Romanian:

• [i̯au̯] as in iau 'I take'
• [e̯au̯] as in rîdeau 'they were laughing'

Vietnamese:

• [ɨ̯əɪ̯] as in tươi 'fresh'
• [ɨ̯əʊ̯] as in rượu 'alcohol'
• [i̯əʊ̯] as in tiêu 'pepper'
• [u̯əɪ̯] as in nuôi 'to nourish'
• [u̯iʊ̯] as in khuỵu 'to fall on one's knees'^{[citation needed]}

Third segment is the nucleus

Romanian (semivocalic phonemes marked with reversed circumflex accents):

• [e̯o̯a] as in pleoape 'eyelids'
• [i̯o̯a] as in creioane 'pencils'

See also

• Diphthong
• Hiatus
• Index of phonetics articles
• List of vowels
• List of phonetics topics
• Monophthong
• Semivowel
• Vowel
• Vowel cluster
• Vowel breaking