Unit 8: Diphthongs /əʊ/ & /aʊ/
Two gliding vowels that start differently but end in rounded /ʊ/.
Leçons
Unit 8 Guide
This unit focuses on two closing diphthongs that share the same endpoint but begin at very different positions in the mouth.
- /əʊ/ starts from a mid-central, relaxed schwa and glides up and back toward /ʊ/, with the lips rounding as the glide finishes. This is the British (BrE) convention; in American English the same sound is usually transcribed /oʊ/, with a more clearly rounded onset.
- /aʊ/ starts from an open, unrounded /a/ (mouth wide) and glides toward the same rounded /ʊ/ endpoint.
Why learners confuse them:
- Both diphthongs end the same way, so the start carries the contrast.
- Speakers who flatten diphthongs into pure vowels will lose the distinction between pairs like no and now.
Key tip: Hold each onset for a fraction longer than feels natural, then let the lips round into /ʊ/. The glide should feel like one smooth motion, not two separate vowels.