Diphthongising

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Pronouncing a single vowel sound as a gliding movement that moves from one vowel quality into another within the same syllable
2. Converting a pure vowel into a two-part sound that shifts from one vowel position to a second, as in many English long vowels
3. Making a vowel become a diphthong by letting the tongue glide across the mouth during one syllable

Etymology: "Diphthongising" is the present participle and gerund of the verb "diphthongise", the British spelling of "diphthongize", meaning to turn a single vowel sound into a diphthong, a vowel that glides from one sound to another within one syllable. The base verb is built from "diphthong", which comes from Greek "diphthongos", a compound of "di-" meaning "two" and "phthongos", meaning "sound" or "voice". So the word's core idea is literally "two sounds": a diphthong is a vowel that carries two sounds in a single syllable, as in the vowel of "boy" or "how". The "-ise" ending is the familiar verb suffix that turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning to make or become something, so "diphthongise" means to make a vowel into a diphthong. The "-ing" ending gives the continuous form, describing the process as it happens: a vowel that is diphthongising is in the middle of becoming a gliding sound. Phoneticians use the word when describing sound change, such as a long vowel in one accent gradually shifting into a glide.

Synonyms: diphthongizing

Antonyms: monophthongise