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Monophthongs vs Diphthongs

🔹 MONOPHTHONGS (Pure vowels)
A monophthong is a single, pure vowel sound.
Your mouth stays in one position from the beginning to the end of the sound.

Examples (British English IPA):

▪︎Short vowels

/ɪ/ as in sit

/e/ as in bed

/æ/ as in cat

/ɒ/ as in lot

/ʊ/ as in put

/ʌ/ as in cup

/ə/ as in about (schwa)

▪︎Long vowels

/iː/ as in see

/ɑː/ as in car

/ɔː/ as in law

/uː/ as in food

/ɜː/ as in nurse

✅ Total monophthongs: 12

🔹 DIPHTHONGS (Gliding vowels)
A diphthong is a vowel glide:
The sound starts in one vowel position and moves to another within the same syllable.

You make two vowel targets, but they blend into one sound.

Examples (British English IPA):

/eɪ/ as in face

/aɪ/ as in price

/ɔɪ/ as in choice

/aʊ/ as in mouth

/əʊ/ as in goat

/ɪə/ as in near

/eə/ as in square

/ʊə/ as in tour (becoming rare in modern BrE)

✅ Total diphthongs: 8

✍ Summary

Monophthongs: 12

Diphthongs: 8

Total vowel sounds in BrE: 20