Unit 9: Diphthongs /ɪə/, /eə/ & /ʊə/
Diphthongs that glide to schwa /ə/ (British English).
الدروس
Unit 9: Centering Diphthongs
This unit covers the three centering diphthongs of British English: /ɪə/, /eə/, and /ʊə/. They are called centering because they all glide toward the central vowel schwa /ə/.
Key rule: Start with the first vowel clearly, then relax the mouth into a soft /ə/. The movement is smooth and continuous — never two separate syllables.
BrE vs AmE note: These diphthongs belong to non-rhotic British English (RP). In American English, the same words are typically pronounced with an /r/ sound:
- BrE hear /hɪə/ → AmE /hɪr/
- BrE air /eə/ → AmE /er/
- BrE pure /pjʊə/ → AmE /pjʊr/
Spelling clues: These sounds usually appear before a written letter r (ear, air, our, ure). The r is silent in BrE but pronounced in AmE.
Practice slowly, holding the first vowel briefly, then letting it relax.