monophthong
monophthong — noun
- monophthongsingular
- monophthongsplural
1. a single, pure vowel where the speaker holds the mouth and tongue in one fixed s
a single, pure vowel where the speaker holds the mouth and tongue in one fixed shape from start to finish — for example, the long /iː/ in 'see' — unlike a diphthong, which glides from one vowel to another inside the same syllable.
Adina's teacher explained that the /iː/ in 'see' is a monophthong.
frame: the X sound in [word] is a monophthong
In parts of northern England, the vowel in 'goat' is pronounced as a clear monophthong.
regional accent context
Sofia practised the German vowel in 'Tee' until it sounded like a clean monophthong.
The textbook lists eleven monophthongs in standard British English, each with a phonetic symbol.
Rohan was surprised that the /uː/ in 'food' counts as a monophthong.
- pure vowel
everyday-prose equivalent; preferred outside academic writing
- simple vowel
informal teaching term, common in classroom contexts
- diphthong
a vowel that slides from one quality to another within a single syllable
- triphthong
a vowel that moves through three qualities, e.g. the sound in 'hour'
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in linguistics, phonetics teaching, and accent coaching; the everyday equivalent would be 'pure vowel'. Often appears in contrast with 'diphthong' (a vowel that glides between two qualities) — readers usually meet the two terms together.