Diphthongs: 'ow' and 'ou'

~8 min

Diphthongs are tricky! They are two vowels that make a gliding sound, like 'oi' in 'coin' or 'ou' in 'cloud'. You hear two sounds melting together.

What is a Diphthong?

Look at how 'ou' creates one sliding sound.

Word: cloud

sound 1c
sound 2l
sound 3ou
sound 4d

A diphthong is a special team of two vowels that glide together to make one new, sliding sound. Your mouth starts in one position and moves to another while you say the sound.

💡 Think of it like a sound melting from one part to another.