monophthong

IPA/ˈmɒnəfθɒŋ/
IPA/ˈmɑːnəfθɔːŋ/

monophthong — 名詞

  • monophthongsingular
  • monophthongsplural

1. a single, pure vowel where the speaker holds the mouth and tongue in one fixed s

1.名詞C2
釋義

單元音

發音時舌位與口形固定不變的母音

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.

例句

Adina's teacher explained that the /iː/ in 'see' is a monophthong.

Adina 的老師解釋，see 裡的 /iː/ 就是一個單元音。

frame: the X sound in [word] is a monophthong

In parts of northern England, the vowel in 'goat' is pronounced as a clear monophthong.

在英格蘭北部某些地區，goat 裡的母音被念成清晰的單元音。

regional accent context

同義詞
  • pure vowel

    everyday-prose equivalent; preferred outside academic writing

  • simple vowel

    informal teaching term, common in classroom contexts

反義詞
  • 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.

常見錯誤

❌The word "boy" ends in a monophthong.
✅The word "boy" ends in a diphthong.
💡the vowel in 'boy' glides from /ɔ/ to /ɪ/, so it is a diphthong, not a monophthong.
❌Mono-thong
✅monophthong' (pronounced /ˈmɒnəfθɒŋ/)
💡note the silent 'ph' before the 'th'; many learners drop the /f/ sound or break the word in the wrong place.