The diphthongs occur when two vowels are pronounced and combined within a same phonetic group, ie syllable. It may be the case that two vowels are together when written but do not belong to the same syllable. In this case, it would be a hiatus.
Diphthongs can be of two types: increasing and decreasing. This classification depends on the vowels that make up the diphthong.
Examples of increasing and decreasing diphthongs on white
The increasing diphthong is formed when the first vowel is weak ("i" or "u") and the second is strong ("a", "e" or "o"). As an example: amnes ia, Address tio n, MURC ié lake, ag ua, h ué rfano, antig uo.
For its part, the decreasing diphthong is created when the first vowel is strong and the second weak. For example: Eu clothes, r ei no, cr ea r, n aU tico, tr ai tion, romb heard of.
It should be noted that the diphthong is a phonetic and not a graphic phenomenon. In this sense, words that are written with two vowels but are pronounced as one do not constitute diphthongs. For example: "que" and "aguinaldo" are not diphthongs.
Examples of increasing diphthongs
- Parliamentary
- Response
- Transmission
- Millennium
- Segregation
- Salvation
- Mission
- Sarcoidosis
- Rhomboid
- Wake
- Wedding
- Matricide
- Parricide
- Genocide
- Femicide
- Assassination
- Infanticide
- Previous
- Dromedary
- He saw
- Repeated
- Witnessed
- Shook
- Roared
- Ran
- ate
- Toured
- Occurred
- Stood up
- Broke in
- Warned
- Turned
- Shared
- Fought
- River
- Acquired
- Did it hurt
- Served
- Added
- Held out
- Promised
- Went up
- He left
- Turn on
- Moved
- He felt
- Auspice
- Chilled
- Waste
- Arrió
- Silence
- Exchange
- Smiled
- Went back
- Pondered
- Answered
- Spied
- Expired
- Confused
- He felt
- Ran
- Showed up
- Went back
- Existed
- Lived
- Joined
- Pursued
- It seemed
- Was born
- Perished
- Died
- Continued
- Got
- Sank
- Learned
- Caught
- Wrote
- Understood
- Opened
- Measured
- Discovered
- Nightfall
- Dawned
- Split
- Brandished
- Ad
- Warned
- Disappearance
- Routine
- Roration
- Smelled
- Attended
- Medium
- Bastion
- Fascination
- Ad
- Courtyard
- Congested
- Pressure
- Fire
- Satisfactory
- Beginning
- Guild
- Geezer
- Change
- Ape
- Various
- Large
- Option
- Ambitious
- Contempt
- Contrary
- Precious
- Waste
- Mercenary
- Wise
- Dirty
- Gods
- Moron
- Nervous
- Silence
- Inside
- Rancid
- Reflect
- Great
- Amateur
- Siege
- Necessary
- Service
- Condition
- TV
- Lips
- Shipwrecks
- Broken
- Higher
- Frowned
- Room
- Exterior
- Commentary
- Curses
- Tough
- Price
- Third
- Bloodthirsty
- Remedy
- obvious
- Measurement
- Space
- Interrogation
- Midday
- Bedroom
- Cleansed
- Smelly
- Omen
- Glass
- Velvet
- Marriage
- Potions
- Segovia
- Lust
- Reference
- Industry
- Frequency
- Sour
- Skier
- Artificial
- William
- Complaint
- Tragedy
- Primary
- High school
- Commercial
- Devil
- Virginia
- High school
- Peculiar
- Intelligence
- Caress
- Righ now
- Trusted
- History
- guard
- Magic
- Cyanide
- Challenged
- Too
- Synesthesia
- Cenesthesia
- Anesthesia
- Back pain
- Spinal anesthesia
- Comedian
- Changing
- Contrary
- Custody
- Cunning
- News
- Hates
- Manorial
- Old man
- Venetian
- Therapy
- Psychotherapy
- Psychotechnics
- Marketing
- Sicilian
- Provincial
- Thank you
- Prayer
- Victory
- Ceremony
- Rage
- Power
- Toward
- Dirty
- Asia
- Coincidence
- Stay
- Sweden
- Wide
- Trust
- Distance
- Conference
- Misfortune
- Maid
- Creature
- Adrian
- California
- Ally
- Rain
- Pity
- Insistence
- Special
- Envy
- Travel
- Crippled
- Memory
- Study
- They studied
- They sponsored
- They spied
- Atoned
- Chilled
- Lowered
- They sent
- They wasted
- Started
- Silenced
- They guided
- Witnessed
- Caressed
- They allied
- They exchanged
- They negotiated
- Pronounced
- They cleaned
- student
- Diary
- Refugee
- Sap
- Fury
- Half
- Beast
- Dressed up
- Clean
- Vanguards
- Own
- Importance
- Pointed
- Peripeteia
- Reverence
- To exchange
- To pronounce
- Silence
- Lacia
- Gaping
- Rancidity
- They left
- They foresaw
- Shook
- They felt
- Nightfall
- They woke up
- They wrapped
- They turned on
- Fell back
- Yielded
- Erected
- Beat
- They belonged
- Led
- They died
- Ascended
- Gathered
- Invaded
- They spread
- Perished
- They chose
- They stirred
- They reddened
- Descended
- Departed
- They lost
- Teeth
- Repeater
- Have
- Had
- Weather
- Well
- While
- Adding
- Sensing
- Feeling
- Repeating
- Shaking
- Roaring
- Running
- Smiling
- Sun rising
- Appearing
- Seeing
- Dressing
- Wearing
- Sharing
- Keeping
- Granting
- Giving
- Thirsty
- Deciding
- Acquiring
- Aching
- putting up
- Tending
- Serving
- Promising
- Happening
- Straightening
- Splitting
- Opening
- Warning
- Understanding
- Uniting
- Offering
- Perishing
- Sinking
- Writing
- Wanting
- Discovering
- Covering
- Understanding
- Giving back
- Learning
- Getting back
- Existing
- Living
- Looking like
- Following
- Getting
- Appeared
- They repeated
- They roared
- They added
- They came back
- Existed
- They lived
- Joined
- They offered
- Chased
- They came
- Were born
- They seemed
- They followed
- They got
- Returned
- They learned
- Sank
- They took
- They covered
- They wrote
- Gave
- Understands
- Wants
- True
- Open
- Even
- Fear
- Who
- Discovered
- Iron
- Any
- Wind
- Desert
- Someone
- Old
- Bloody
- Skin
- Stone
- Doing
- No one
- Dusk
- Ice
- Heaven
- Skyscraper
- Icebreaker
- Ten
- Enough
- Smiling
- Member
- They came
- They smiled
- Legs
- They made
- Ate
- They ran
- They toured
- They saw
- They dressed
- They wore
- Happened
- They stood
- Split
- Were
- They broke in
- They interrupted
- They opened
- They warned
- There were
- They converted
- They understood
- They shared
- They fought
- They kept
- They understood
- Granted
- They laughed
- They decided
- They wanted
- They acquired
- They hurt
- They put
- They served
- Could
- They tended
- Snake
- They promised
- They discovered
- Servant
- Restless
- I lie
- Sarmiento
- Knowledge
- Always
- Existed
- Audience
- Patience
- Honey
- Hot
- Left
- Fierceness
- See
- Seat
- Choose
- Breath
- Grass
- Asking
- Lying
- Stained glass windows
- Welcome
- Would issue
- Fog
- Seven
- Serie
- Think
- Disappeared
- They lied
- West
- Darkness
- Store
- Foot
- How much
- Which one
- When
- Picture
- Anyone
- Language
- Water
- Guardian
- Quarter
- Quartz
- Four
- Wait
- Located
- Leagues
- Soft
- Same
- Quarantine
- Forty
- Find out
- Endure
- Unequal
- Handsome
- Gloves
- Suitable
- Habitual
- Ancient
- Chance
- Bastions
- Endurance
- Garrison
- Watery
- Cushioned
- Perpetual
- Block
- Continue
- Rear
- Evaluate
- Situation
- Four hundred
- Acted
- Visualize
- Horse
- Gauntlet
- Casual
- Language
- Provisioning
- Unusual
- Padded
- Guatemala
- Guásimo
- Guano
- Bound
- Gradual
- Graduate
- Continuation
- Ebb
- Forges
- Strike
- Fat
- Piñuelo
- Little boy
- Owl
- Chick
- Leather
- Usually
- Dream
- Floor
- Holiday
- Salary
- Dead
- Silly faces
- Serum
- Silhouette
- Then
- Was
- Outside
- Fire
- Noise
- Wheel
- Raven
- Body
- Thick
- Remember
- Dream
- Force
- Leather
- One-eyed
- Door
- Bridge
- Turns
- Okay
- Game
- May
- Try
- New
- Neck
- Wheeze
- Exposed
- Effort
- I beg
- Your
- Turned
- Our
- Game
- Village
- Returns
- Accounts
- Put
- Spree
- It sounds
- Old
- Monster
- Monstrous
- Tortuous
- Aqueous
- Mutual
- I find out
- Sinuous
- Majestic
- Defective
- Respectful
- Meager
- Fatuous
- Twelfth
- Unctuous
- Sumptuous
- Innocuous
- Share
- Fluorescent
- Lavish
Examples of decreasing diphthongs
- Exhausted
- Quick
- August
- Paula
- Audio
- Captivated
- Pause
- Austere
- Augmented
- Even if
- Audience
- Author
- Laura
- Howled
- Cautious
- Cause
- Hearing
- Highway
- Bus
- Car
- Self-sufficient
- Motorists
- restaurant
- Autograph
- dawn
- Abundant
- Bold
- Authentic
- Precautions
- Absent
- Absence
- Baptized
- Opening
- Automatic
- Self esteem
- Augur
- Closure
- Cloister
- Aura
- Car
- Authority
- Authorized
- Aucuba
- Audacity
- Headset
- Audio frequency
- Audiogram
- Audiology
- Audiometry
- Auidimudez
- Audit
- Augite
- Augur
- Augur
- Augury
- Classroom
- Classrooms
- Increase
- Aurelia
- Aureliano
- Aurelio
- Aura
- Golden
- Aureomycin
- Atrium
- Absenteeism
- Abusetania
- Ausón
- Sponsor
- Southern
- Australia
- Austria
- Australian
- Austrian
- Austro-Hungarian
- Autario
- Self-accusation
- Self-agglutination
- Self analysis
- Autobiography
- Self-harm
- Autoantibody
- Self control
- Self-consumption
- Indigenous
- Self determination
- Autodidact
- Autogamy
- Selfing
- Autolysis
- Autosomal
- Car radio
- Self service
- Autosyndesis
- Autosuggestion
- Autosomal
- Autotomy
- Autotransformer
- Autotroph
- Autotransfusion
- Autovaccine
- Dual carriageway
- Autotigony
- Auscultate
- Assistant
- Applaud
- Handset
- Inaudible
- Sink
- Nauseating
- Jaws
- They danced
- Playing cards
- Taiwan
- Haiku
- Hawaii
- Ease
- Mosaics
- Paratrooper
- Unsheathe
- Air
- Traitors
- Bring
- I fall
- Landscape
- Basin
- Rooted
- Sway
- Devious
- Leggings
- There are
- Ingrained
- Spanking
- Android
- I hear
- Today
- I go
- I am
- Am
- Morrocoy
- You are
- Sternocleidomastoid
- Rhomboid
- Coincident
- Heroic
- Eunuch
- Eubacterial
- Eubolia
- Eucalyptus
- Eukaryote
- Eucharist
- Euclase
- Euclid
- Euclasia
- Eucroite
- Eudoxia
- Eudoxus
- Euphemism
- Euphony
- Euphorbia
- Euphoria
- Euphotid
- Eyebright
- Euphrates
- Euphronius
- Euphuism
- Eugenia
- Eugenics
- Eugenol
- Euglena
- Eulalia
- Eunuchism
- Eureka
- Euripides
- Esurhythmia
- Eurobond
- Euro
- Euro currency
- Eurodollar
- Euromissile
- Euscalduna
- Eurovision
- Euskadi
- Eusebius
- Basque
- Eustace
- Euthanasia
- Eutrophic
- Europe
- Debts
- Meeting
- Euphoric
- Pseudonyms
- Tire
- Rheumatic
- Neurology
- Therapist
- Eire
- And go to
- Eisai
- Six
- Thirty
- Hairstyle
- Twenty
- Oil
- Kingdom
- To shave
- King
- Pledging
- Delight
- Bacon
- Simultaneity
- Olives
References
- What is a diphthong? Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from thoughtco.com
- Diphthong. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
- Diphtong. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from vocabulary.com
- Diphthong. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from merriam-webster.com
- Spanish Diphthongs and Triphthongs. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from 123teachme.com
- Detecting diphthongs in Spanish. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from dummies.com
- Spanish vowels. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from spanishdict.com
- Spanish Diphthongs and Triphthongs. Retrieved on August 17, 2017, from study.com