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Diphthong

Diphthong OW / Mouth Vowel

The diphthong vowel sound heard in words like "now", "house", "out", and "down". Often called the MOUTH vowel. It starts with a low vowel, similar to /æ/ or /ɑ/, and glides towards a high back rounded vowel /ʊ/.

Voicing
Voiced
Place of Articulation
Low-Back-to-High-Back
Manner of Articulation
Vowel (Diphthong)
Mouth Position

Start with the jaw wide open, tongue low (either front /æ/ or central /ɑ/). Then, glide the tongue high and back while rounding the lips for the /ʊ/ sound. The jaw closes significantly during the glide.

How to Make This Sound

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Example Words

nowMain Example
naʊ
house
haʊs
out
aʊt
down
daʊn
about
əˈbaʊt
how
haʊ
sound
saʊnd
mouth
maʊθ
town
taʊn
found
faʊnd

Pronunciation Practice

11 words

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Minimal Pairs

Listen and compare similar sounds

ow
now
naʊ
Compare with
N
no
noʊ
ow
down
daʊn
Compare with
D
dawn
dɔn
ow
house (noun)
haʊs
Compare with
H
house (verb)
haʊz
ow
found
faʊnd
Compare with
P
phoned
foʊnd

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Practice and related guides

Use the hub pages below to reinforce this sound with drills and deeper explanations.

Sound Hub

Study English diphthongs

See how English gliding vowels work and where they appear in common words.

Practice

Practice English diphthongs

Train the glide and mouth movement behind the main diphthong patterns.

Pronunciation

What Are Diphthongs? The English Vowels That Move

Diphthongs are vowel sounds where your mouth glides from one position to another. Learn what makes them different from regular vowels and why they matter for clear English pronunciation.

Pronunciation

Why Romance Language Speakers Flatten English Diphthongs (and How to Glide Properly)

Spanish, Portuguese, and French speakers often turn English diphthongs into flat vowels, making 'say' sound like 'seh' and 'go' like 'goh.' Learn exactly why this happens and how to master the glide in all five English diphthongs.