RP Diphthongs
RP has 8 diphthongs. They can be grouped into closing/upgliding and centering/ingliding. An alternative classification describes them as falling, that is, the first element is the prominent one. Depending on the tongue position of the second vowel, they can be grouped into:
- Front closing/upgliding diphthongs
- Back closing/upgliding diphthongs
- Centering/ingliding diphthongs
(Click on the symbols in the chart to retrieve an audio example and a glide animation.)