Main Entry:

diph·thong

Pronunciation:

\ˈdif-ˌthȯŋ, ˈdip-\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English diptonge, from Middle French diptongue, from Late Latin dipthongus, from Greek diphthongos, from di- + phthongos voice, sound

Date:

15th century

1 : a gliding monosyllabic speech sound (as the vowel combination at the end of toy) that starts at or near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves to or toward the position of another 2 : digraph 3 : the ligature æ or œ

— diph·thon·gal \dif-ˈthȯŋ-(g)əl, dip-\ adjective