Triphthongs in English – diphthong & /ə/ combination in one syllable

This video explains what triphthongs are: a combination of three vowel sounds in one syllable. The usual pattern is: a diphthong + the central vowel sound /ə/ (= the schwa) all together forming one syllable, also called the nucleus of a syllable. We will go over some example words which contain triphthongs in English and we have a careful look at the spelling pattern because the letter ‘R’ plays a special role here!


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Billie is an accent reduction coach and English teacher based in Barcelona, Spain. She holds an MA in Communication Research & Phonology, a PGCE in Primary Education, and a Trinity College Certificate & Diploma TESOL.

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