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Diphthong
SQUARE Diphthong / Centering Diphthong
The centering diphthong vowel sound heard in words like "care", "fair", "there", and "hair". Often called the SQUARE vowel. It starts with a mid-front unrounded vowel /e/ (like in 'bed' but slightly higher) and glides towards the central vowel /ə/ (schwa).
Phonetic
eəVoicing
VoicedPlace of Articulation
Front-to-CentralManner of Articulation
Vowel (Diphthong)Mouth Position
Start with the tongue mid-high and forward for the /e/ sound, jaw mid-open. Then, glide the tongue towards the center and lower it slightly while the jaw opens more for the /ə/ sound. Lips remain relatively neutral throughout.
How to Make This Sound
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Example Words
careMain Example
keəfair
feəthere
ðeəhair
heəshare
ʃeəwhere
weəchair
tʃeəpair
peəwear
weəprepare
prɪˈpeəPronunciation Practice
11 words
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Quick Practice
3-5 essential words
Full Practice
All 11 words
Minimal Pairs
Listen and compare similar sounds
eə
care
keəCompare with
C
core
kɔːeə
fair
feəCompare with
F
fear
fɪəeə
where
weəCompare with
W
were
wɜːTongue Twister
Practice: Diphthong
“Fair hair care requires careful preparation there.”
Practice this tongue twister to improve your pronunciation