AƱ - LOWER CASE A + LOWER CASE UPSILON
|
|
|
||||||||
|
Back, closing and wide. The glide of RP /aʊ/ begins at a point between the back and front open positions, slightly more fronted than the position for RP /ɑ:/, and moves in the direction of RP /ʊ/ approaching the half-close level [ö]. The glide is much more extensive than that used for /əʊ/ and is symmetrically opposed to the front RP diphthong /aɪ/. The lips change from neutrally open to weakly rounded. English /aʊ/ is similar to the Spanish diphthong in pausa (Span 'pause'), but the end-point is more relaxed and the starting point is a more retracted in Spanish. Spelling
Exampleshow /haʊ/
PronunciationThe tongue moves upwards from an open front position to a half-close back position. The lips change from neutraly open to a weakly rounded position. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal). |
Falling diphthong The first sound in this diphthong is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an open position to a close position. To pronounce the second element, the semivowel [w], the tongue is close to the palate, in the same way as when we pronounce /u/. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound. Spelling<au> Examplesautor PronunciationThe first sound is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound. |