Diphthongs (13/12)

English and Spanish vowels: differences

While in Spanish we have 5 vowels sounds, in English there are 12 different vowel sounds.

Some vowels may sound almost alike, so getting accustomed out ears to the English sounds is very important from the very beginning in order to be able to distinguish them.

Vowels:

• Vowels are determined by changes in position of the lips, tongue and palate.
• These changes can be very slight and difficult to detect.
• In English, vowels can also glide into one another to form diphthongs and even triphthongs.

Diphthongs:

• Diphthongs are those sounds that consist of a movement or glide from one vowel to another.
• The first part of a diphthong is always longer and stronger than the second part.

There are two types of dipghthons: closing and centring.