Diphthongs and Semi Vowels final

Summary

This educational video script delves into the intricacies of English phonetics, focusing on 'diphtongs' and 'semivowels.' It explains that diphtongs, which include sounds like 'ai' in 'day' and 'ou' in 'go,' are vowel sounds that transition from one vowel to another. Semivowels, represented by 'w' and 'y,' function similarly to vowels but are consonant sounds, aiding in the smooth transition between words in spoken English. The script encourages learners to practice identifying these sounds in words to enhance pronunciation and comprehension.

Takeaways

• 😀 English has 44 sounds, with 24 consonants and 20 vowels.
• 🔍 Among the vowels, there are both monophthongs and diphthongs, with 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs.
• 🌐 Diphthongs are vowel sounds that start with one vowel and glide into another, making them distinct from monophthongs which maintain a single vowel quality.
• 📚 The script emphasizes the importance of understanding these sounds for improving pronunciation and comprehension in English.
• 📝 Among consonants, the last three—v, w, and y—are particularly interesting due to their unique classification.
• 🔊 Semivowels, which include 'w' and 'y', function more like vowels but are classified as consonants due to their phonetic properties.
• 💬 Semivowels are not syllabic and cannot form a syllable on their own; they require another vowel sound to create a syllable.
• 📚 The script explains that semivowels assist in the transition between vowel sounds in connected speech, providing examples of phrases where they naturally occur.
• 🔍 The distribution of 'w' and 'y' in speech is patterned and related to the rounding of vowels, with 'w' following rounded vowels and 'y' following unrounded vowels.
• 📝 Semivowels do not occur at the end of words, which is a key distinction in their usage compared to full vowels.
• 📖 Practicing the identification and pronunciation of diphthongs and semivowels in various words is recommended for better understanding and language proficiency.

Q & A

What are the two main categories of sounds in English?

The two main categories of sounds in English are consonants and vowels.

How many total sounds does the English language have?

The English language has a total of 44 sounds.

What is the distinction between 'dipthongs' and 'semivowels'?

Dipthongs are vowel sounds that start with one vowel and end with another, while semivowels are consonant sounds that function more like vowels, such as 'w' and 'y'.

What is the term for a vowel sound that starts and ends with the same vowel quality?

A vowel sound that starts and ends with the same quality is called a 'monophthong'.

How many monophthongs are there in English according to the script?

According to the script, there are 12 monophthongs in English.

What is the function of semivowels in spoken English?

Semivowels function to help with the transition between two vowel sounds that belong to two different words in normal, regular spoken language.

Why are 'w' and 'y' not considered full vowels?

'W' and 'y' are not considered full vowels because they are consonant sounds and do not occur at the final position of a word or syllable.

What is the difference between the spelling of a word and its phonetic transcription?

The spelling of a word represents its written form, while the phonetic transcription represents the actual sounds of the word as pronounced.

How many dipthong vowels are there in English according to the script?

According to the script, there are eight dipthong vowels in English.

What is the term for the process where a sound starts with one vowel and ends with another?

The process where a sound starts with one vowel and ends with another is known as a 'glide'.

Why are semivowels important for language learners?

Semivowels are important for language learners because understanding their function and distribution helps improve pronunciation and comprehension of spoken English.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to English Sounds: Dipthongs and Semivowels

The script introduces the concepts of 'dipthongs' and 'semivowels' within the English sound system. It explains that English has 44 sounds, divided into 24 consonants and 20 vowels. Dipthongs are a type of vowel sound that starts with one vowel and ends with another, while semivowels are consonants that function like vowels. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding these sounds for improving pronunciation and language comprehension.

05:02

📝 Understanding Dipthongs and Their Role in English

This paragraph delves deeper into the concept of dipthongs, which are vowel sounds that transition from one vowel to another within a single syllable. It clarifies that there are eight dipthongs in English, contrasting them with the 12 monophthongs that have a single vowel quality. The paragraph provides examples of words containing dipthongs and encourages learners to practice identifying these sounds in various words to improve their pronunciation.

10:05

🔍 The Phonetic Transcription and Semivowel Sounds

The script discusses the importance of phonetic transcription for understanding and improving pronunciation. It highlights the semivowel sounds 'w' and 'y', explaining that they are produced without significant obstruction in the vocal tract, unlike other consonants. The paragraph also notes that semivowels are not syllabic and cannot form a syllable on their own, requiring an additional vowel sound for syllable formation.

15:06

🌐 Semivowel Sounds in Word Formation and Language

This section explores the occurrence of semivowel sounds in words, noting that they do not appear at the end of words. It provides examples of words with 'w' and 'y' sounds and emphasizes the difference between the written form and the phonetic sound. The paragraph also discusses the role of semivowels in connecting vowel sounds across word boundaries in fluent speech.

20:10

🔗 The Function of Semivowels in Speech Transition

The script explains the function of semivowels in facilitating the transition between vowel sounds in connected speech. It illustrates how semivowels like 'w' and 'y' appear between words to help with the flow of speech, especially when one word ends with a vowel sound and the next begins with a vowel sound. The paragraph provides examples of phrases where semivowels are inserted to aid in this transition.

25:12

📘 Conclusion and Practical Application of Sound Knowledge

The final paragraph concludes the lesson on dipthongs and semivowels, emphasizing their importance in both pronunciation and comprehension. It suggests that understanding these sounds helps in making sense of fast or fluent speech and encourages learners to practice by identifying these sounds in spoken English. The script ends with a reminder of the value of this knowledge for improving language skills.

Keywords

💡Dipthongs

Dipthongs are complex vowel sounds that begin with one vowel quality and end with another within the same syllable. They are central to the video's theme as they represent a type of vowel sound that English learners must understand to improve their pronunciation. In the script, examples of diphthongs include 'a' in 'day', 'oi' in 'boy', and 'ou' in 'go'.

💡Semi-vowels

Semi-vowels, also known as glides, are consonant sounds that function more like vowels due to their lack of obstruction in the vocal tract. The script explains that 'w' and 'y' are English semi-vowels, which are important for natural-sounding speech and are used in the script to illustrate how they assist in the transition between vowel sounds in connected speech.

💡Consonant sounds

Consonant sounds are speech sounds that are produced with some degree of obstruction in the vocal tract. The video script discusses the 24 consonant sounds in English, emphasizing their importance in the sound system and their role in distinguishing words.

💡Vowel sounds

Vowel sounds are speech sounds that are produced with an open vocal tract, allowing for the unobstructed flow of air. The script distinguishes between two types of vowel sounds: monophthongs, which are pure vowel sounds, and diphthongs, which are the focus of the video.

💡Phonetics

Phonetics is the study of the sounds of human speech. The script uses phonetics to analyze and explain the English sounds, particularly focusing on diphthongs and semi-vowels, to aid in the understanding and pronunciation of the language.

💡Monophthongs

Monophthongs are pure vowel sounds that do not change in quality throughout their pronunciation. The script contrasts them with diphthongs, which change in quality, and uses examples such as 'e' in 'read' and 'o' in 'book' to illustrate the concept.

💡Glide

A glide is a smooth transition from one sound to another, particularly relevant to the script's discussion of diphthongs, which are described as starting with one vowel and gliding into another. The term is used to describe the movement within a diphthong.

💡Syllable

A syllable is a unit of organization for a sequence of speech sounds. The script explains that every syllable must contain a vowel sound, which is why vowels are also referred to as syllabic sounds, and semi-vowels cannot form a syllable on their own.

💡Articulation

Articulation refers to the way speech sounds are physically produced using the organs of the vocal tract. The script discusses the articulation of both consonant and vowel sounds, emphasizing the lack of obstruction for semi-vowels and the specific places and manners of articulation for consonants.

💡Assimilation

Assimilation is a phonetic process where one sound becomes more like a neighboring sound. The script describes how semi-vowels assist in assimilation by smoothing the transition between vowel sounds in connected speech, as in the phrases 'go away' and 'I am late'.

💡Phonetic transcription

Phonetic transcription is the representation of the pronunciation of a word or phrase in written symbols. The script encourages learners to practice phonetic transcription to improve their understanding of English sounds and pronunciation, using examples like 'take' and 'boy'.

Highlights

Introduction to diphtongs and semivowels as distinct types of sounds in English.

English has 44 sounds, with 24 consonants and 20 vowels.

Diphthongs are vowels that start with one sound and end with another, known as a glide.

Semivowels are consonants that function more like vowels, specifically 'w' and 'y'.

The importance of understanding sounds for improving pronunciation and language comprehension.

Classification of vowels into monophthongs and diphthongs.

Examples of diphthongs including 'ai' in 'day', 'au' in 'go', and 'oi' in 'boy'.

Explanation of how semivowels assist in word transitions in spoken English.

Semivowels do not occur at the end of words and are not syllabic.

The role of semivowels in connecting vowel sounds across word boundaries in speech.

Patterned distribution of 'w' and 'y' sounds based on vowel rounding.

The significance of semivowels in aiding the transition between vowel sounds for fluent speech.

Practical exercise suggestions for identifying and practicing diphthongs and semivowels in words.

The distinction between the spelling of words and the actual sounds produced.

How semivowels appear in words not always matching their spelling, such as 'cute' and 'acquire'.

The function of semivowels in spoken English to prevent hiatus between vowels of adjacent words.

Advice for learners to observe semivowel usage in native English speakers for better understanding.

Conclusion on the value of understanding diphtongs and semivowels for improved pronunciation and comprehension.

Transcripts

[Music]

welcome to the class today we will talk

about dip tongs and semi Wows in

English these two terms dip tongs and

semiwels they refer to two different

types of sounds in English we know there

are sounds like consonants and

vowels if you look at English sound

system English has total 44

sounds out of which 24 of them are

consonant sounds and 20 of them are

vowel

sounds

when we go into the details of that

classification then we find among vowels

that is among 20 vels there are some

vowels which are called

Dions and among

consonants there are two in particular

and three in total

sounds which are called semi

s keep in

mind semivowels are consonants and we

are going to see and look at the details

of those sounds and how they function

this is what we know as 44 sounds of

English in that the first 20 sounds are

vowel sounds and let's take a moment

here to understand that

so those sounds are

e as in

read

sit this e

sound is shorter than the previous one

as in sit and likewise you see all of

them so this is a short o so in a word

like book and when we say word

two then you have longer

U then here is what I want to draw your

attention to so then you we have a as in

men uh as in America this shorter a

sound uh as in

America and then you

have or as in Word

and

sort this is another

sound now I want to draw your attention

to some of these sounds which are called

deps and I'll talk about them in details

again however so look at this e here so

this

one A as in

day U as in

t oi as in

boy and o o as in

go these are dip Tong sounds in

English which are called dip Tong vels

so if you see if if you want to go by

classification you can see that some are

monong vels and some are dip tongs vels

dip Tong vowels simply mean a sound

which starts with one vowel but ends

with another that vowel is called

Depon we will look at the details of

that

now among the consonant sounds you have

these 24 sounds as

consonants look at the last three v w

and

y

the classification of these consonant

sounds is interesting to know and for

complete understanding of the sounds

that become so specific and so

particular to help our help improve our

pronunciation help improve how we speak

how we

understand and and so much more it is

important to know these

sounds in details and therefore we are

spending this time on explaining

particular types of sounds to you so

that it helps you

better one more

time being familiar with the sounds of

the language we want to focus on and

improve is fundamental for improving our

language knowing the sounds in terms of

their places of articulations and

manners of articulations helps us

immensely in improving our language with

these two fundamental principles we work

on it and we move further to explain

these sounds to

you

so R is a

sound one type of sound and w and y they

form one category so w and y are

particularly known as

semivowels you may have a question in

your mind these are consonant

sounds so why are they called

semivowels the reason is very simple

they are consonant sounds but they

function more like a vowel therefore

they are called semi wow and I'll show

you I'll explain what I mean when I say

they function like w they help WBLS

therefore they are called

semivowels why not semic

consonants that's not an important

question for us because they are

consonants they are full consonants so

they cannot be called semic consonants

they are called semiwels because they

help WS they function like w again third

question for the sake of an argument why

if they function like vowels then why

not full vowels they are not full vowels

because you will learn it later in the

course that Vel sounds are fundamental

for salification

allow me a moment here to tell you Cel

is a smaller unit of a word some words

are mon syllabic that is even one

syllable can be a full

word a word can have more than one

syllable so when we want to understand

words in details so moving from sounds

to words it is helpful to understand

syllables and one specific thing that

you we must know about a syllable is

every syllable must have a vowel sound

in it

therefore vels are also called syllabic

sounds now coming back to semivowels

semivowels are not

syllabic therefore they cannot be full

vowels hope this makes sense to you now

we start with dongs and then we will go

to semiwels in this class so these are

the 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 eight of them are

dip Tong vowels in English so you can

clearly see the distinction that 12 of

them are monop Thon that is they have

only one Vel quality that is they start

with one and end with one this one these

eight of them have the these eight of

them start with one end with the other

and therefore they are called

Dions what do we mean when we say say

start with one and end with the other

look at this this one a starts with a

and ends with

e now when we talk about these sounds in

isolation we can also say if they are

two if they are they look like

combinations of two different w sounds

then why don't we take them as two

different Vel sounds actually they are

not two different Vel sounds when we say

them when we speak them in the in flow

in a word so they they form a special

category let's take it as given and they

are eight of them so first one is a as

in how do we pronounce this this word

take

take

this paying attention to these sounds

will help you improve your pronunciation

we can say

take take

now we can reach that pronunciation only

when we know that the vowel sound here

is a

take I by I by as in by

and oi as in

boy ear as in

fear a as in k

o as in

go U as in

po ow as in

cow so if you if you write the fanatic

transcription of these words that are

given here this is how it becomes so you

have

t a and C so there are three sounds in

this

word

consonant vowel and consonant only three

sounds and this T also becomes little

aspirated you will get to learn that

further so it's pronounced as

take three consonants three sounds in

this word T E and A and C take

by you have

b i by boy

B or and E this is the fonetic

transcription of

Bo so when you when you write

words with their phonetic

transcriptions and identifying sounds

that is the process to help improve our

pronunciation

fear so we have sound

far e and a

fear

[Music]

k

a a and

K so likewise I suggest you do the

fonetic the transcription of these words

and more to find these eight sounds

important

part eight dip tongs and

12

mon

tongs this is the classification of vels

Vel sounds in English that is further

classification so at one level to

conclude this part at one level we have

seen all sounds being classified in two

parts consonants and vels 20 walls when

we look further we see 12 monoton eight

gons these are the eight D tongs This Is

How They sound and this is how they

appear in

words at this stage one suggestion for

you for your exercises to understand it

further

please find these sounds in more words

that we speak you can take help online

you can take you can read a word and

identify sounds in them and you will get

to see these sounds as well

so dep tongs are sounds this this is

what we conclude with which consist of a

movement of a Glide from one Vel to

another

that is starts as one ends with the

other this process is known as

Glide so in other words is pronounced by

combining two vowel sound it sounds that

way when we speak it but they are one

gliding from one to the

other the first sound in the combination

is articulated longer and stronger than

the second one so you have seen h itive

tongs and this is what they are and see

more examples of

them so take you have already seen

High boy you have seen

[Music]

slow bold Pierce

jewy

pear all these words when you practice

further take more words and practice

them you will get to see these B sounds

you will also need to practice the

distinction between mon of Tong and de

Tong for better understanding of

salification and your

pronunciation Now we move to semi wals

in this

class there are two sounds there are w

and y they are called semivowels in

English there is no blockage of an air

in articulation of w and y

remember we we discussed in the

beginning why are they

called

semiwels one more reason why they are

called semiwels and why they appear like

a

Vel if you if you look at places of

articulations and the way we articulate

a consonant

sound consonant sounds are always

produced with obstruction in the vocal

tract as you understand exhaling flow of

air is responsible for producing speed

SS and at different places in our oral

cavity in the entire vocal

tract the flow is stopped and modified

in various

ways which give us different consonant

sounds this obstruction is important for

consonant sounds for a

semi which is known as a consonant there

is no AB obstruction they are produced

like WS that is without or very little

obstruction this is what we mean when we

say there is no blockage of air in

articulation of what and Y thus giving a

w like

quality however w and y are non celibate

we discussed they they can be part of a

word but for that word to be a syllable

we need another vowel sound in that mere

presence of either one of the two will

not constitute a

syllable now when we try to see some

words with w let's look at this well

World twin

sweet

acquire with

W with your sound you have words like

yesterday intrusion

intrusion

Beauty Steward

few

now in important point to note here

these remember these are

sounds so and they are written this way

with these

symbols but these sounds appear in words

not always when we spell a word with

these symbols so in some words they do

like well you see being is spelled with

W world you see the same thing happening

twin you see were coming in the middle

of the word not in the initial position

but look at this

sweet we you do have a was sound here in

this

world but there is no W

acquire here you see C and W sound in

this

word but there is no W there are more

words like questions

question here also you have C and W so

there are so many words where you do

have a w sound that is a

semi same way in when when Y sound

appears in a word it may appear with Y

as a symbol but it may not appear as

well in the word like

intrusion look at this here in fact in

terms of a phonetic transcription this

is how your sound is written so in this

you will see a yeah sound here in beauty

also you see yeah sound in stward also

you see your sound and few of course

there is your

sound you can have more words of this

type to check where you get your sound

with why or

Not Another important point about

semiwels is that these semi vowels that

is Y and

W they may occur in a word but they do

not

occur at a final position that is these

sounds will never come at the word final

position some somebody can come up with

counter

examples of this

statement that semi Wows do not occur in

a final position somebody can say look

at this word v there is a w at the end

of this cow there is a w at the end of

it happy there is Y sound at the end of

it there is y y and Monday there are

many words where you have a word ending

with why the question is not whether

whether they end with W or Y in their

spelling if you have understood you do

not need explanation further that we are

not talking about spelling of a word we

are talking about

sounds and in these words also there

is there is no semivowel sound at the

end of these words so in in the word

window you have a DP tongs DP Tong cow

you have a and

u o and u in

window happy you have e

sound Munday you

have

this not

semiwels so they do not these these two

sounds are not in the not in the final

position of these

words then so this is this is the

introduction of semi so you know so many

things about

semi you know what those sounds

are you know the distinction between

sound and spelling you know that they do

not occur in the final position of a

word you know that they are not syllabic

because for making a syllable they need

another vowel

and therefore they are called w sounds

semi wovel

sounds not full

WBLS for their production they can be

produced without much obstruction in the

oral tract

but and therefore they sound like a Vel

and still because they are non- Civic

they are called semi Wows so you know so

many things about W now is the time for

you to know where is it

used and and what is its function in the

language here I need your

attention when you say these I have few

phrases written here on this

slide when you say these words pay

attention to what what's happening and I

am referring to how these things will be

spoken or how these things or is spoken

by speakers of English who grew up is

speaking English

so look at this go away go

away now in all these words I am going

to underline some

parts I am

late say

it buy

it put your shoe

on Blue is my favorite

color three years

when you pay attention to these

underlining parts of these phrases or

sentences you will re realize that these

phrases and

sentences one word ends with a vowel

sound and the following word begins with

a vowel

sound check that go ends with a vble

sound and Away begins with a vble sound

so

when you have this situation I is a

vowel sound and M also has a vowel sound

in the beginning of it

say has a vowel sound at the end of say

and it has a vowel sound in the

beginning of

it Shu on Shu has a vowel sound at the

end of the word and on has a vowel sound

in the beginning of the word blue

is

blue has a vowel sound at the end of the

word and is has a vowel sound in the

beginning of a word and three has a

vowel sound at the end of it and ears

has a vowel sound in the beginning of

it this is what we mean when I'm asking

you to pay attention to these

things now in a normal

regular spoken

language

there is a period of transition in these

two

words so to help the

transition from one Vel to the other

there is a semi inserted in each one of

these

instances and when you find it out you

will see that this is the actual

function of

semiwels so when we say go away there

between the two there appears to be a

war

sound I am late I am I am late so see

when you when we hear this in regular

speech fast speech there is a yes sound

between I and I am I

am there is a y sound in between say it

say

it before E you have Y sound again same

thing buy

it put your shoe on so it's it sounds

like shoe one shoe

one so there is a w w sound here blue is

in this case Y

sound and three ears of course ear

sound so this is a function of a

semivowel where in the fast speech or

normal regular

speech for transition between two vowel

sounds which belong to two different

words we see the appearance of a

specific

sound and they are either one of the two

semivowels yeah and one now if you go

into further details you will see the

distribution of Y and W is also not

random when you have a rounded vowel you

have was and otherwise you have Y sound

so that so the distribution of Y and W

is also fully patterned there is a rule

for why a w sound must come and why a

yes sound must go but the function is to

help the transition between two vowel

sounds belonging to two different

words this is one of the most important

function of semi wavel this happens in

other languages as well but here we are

specifically discussing some examples of

English now again I recommend you I we

did some examples I recommend you to

look get some more some more words

phrases sentences and pay attention to

that when you listen to people speak

English particularly speak speakers of

English those who GW up speaking

English you will notice these things and

an understanding of semiwels in this

fashion will help you understand

others make sense faster and more

carefully when you hear others it won't

sound like you did not understand what

they said these are the things we need

to pay attention

to again I stop it by telling you a

careful understanding of these sound

these in this information that is the

information about dip tongs types of

vowels and

semivowels will help you improve not

only your pronunciation that is not only

how you speak but also understanding how

others speak with that we stop here see

you next time with some other

information thank

you