A Monophtong is a word with one vowel sound.

N.B. We are referring to sounds, and not letters as there can be two vowel sounds in a word, but pronounced as a single sound.

Examples :

  1. i) /ɪ/: field, see. ix)  /ʌ/: but, cup
  2. ii) /i:/: big, thi x) /ɜ:/: flirt, dirt

iii) /ɛ/ dress, pet.                  xi) /ə/: again, mother

  1. iv) /æ/: had, ba xii) /ʊ/: put, foot
  2. v) /ɑː/: father, sergeant
  3. iv) /ɒ/: not, hot

vii) /ɔ:/: law, port

vii) /u:/: you, too

ɛ

As you can see from the list exhausted above, the English Language has twelve (12) monophtongs. There are seven (7) short sounds, and five (5) long sounds. Sounds with this (:) by the side are long, while the rest are short.

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