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Lesson 4 - Diphthongs /eɪ/, /aɪ/, /aʊ/, /ɔɪ/, /oʊ/

In this lesson we'll continue learning the vowel sounds.

Review

Review the American English phonetic chart:

American English Sounds

And review the British English vowels:

British English Sounds

IPA Reading

Although we haven't learned all of the following sounds yet, see if you can read the words below:

WordWord
kipmi:t
pɪgbɪt
'rɛdifrend
mænmæd
frɑgɑ:t
kɒp
kʊd'wɔ:tə
blugʊd
bʌsfu:d
ə'gɛnkʌp

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are two vowel sounds that are said together.

  • ɔɪ

The /eɪ/ sound

Words

age, safe, may, late, save, ABC, change, May, day, able

Comparison

  • bit, bate, bet
  • rid, raid, red
  • Bic, bake, Beck
  • min, main, men

Phrases

  • rave cave
  • save the date
  • no pain no gain
  • Rain rain go away, come again another day.

Song

Edelweiss is a German word, but when said in English it is pronounced /'eɪdəɫvaɪs/.

The /aɪ/ sound

Words

I'm, like, island, aisle, bite, fly, why, idle, kind, night

Comparison

  • bike, back
  • height, hat
  • mice, mass

Phrases

  • I don't want to die.
  • why oh why
  • tie a tie
  • fly high
  • my eye

The /aʊ/ sound

Words

out, loud, cow, down, clown, ouch, mouth, router, sound

Phrases

  • speak out load
  • how now brown cow
  • downtown
  • bow wow

The /ɔɪ/ sound

Words

oil, toy, voice, boy, royal, soil, oink, annoy, moist

Phrases

  • moist soil
  • a toy boy
  • boiling oil
  • enjoy your meal

Tongue Twister

Any noise annoys an oyster, but a noisy noise annoys an oyster most.

Song

The /oʊ/ sound

Words

oath, cove, low, snow, only, doe, no, wrote, rode, loathe, loath, toe

Phrases

  • oh no
  • so low
  • row, row, row your boat
  • I don't know

Song

Row row row your boat
Gently down the stream
Merrily merrily merrily merrily
Life is but a dream.

Dictation practice

Using the app, select the vowels that we have studied so far. Then practice writing the sounds that you hear.