triphthong
[ trif-thawng, -thong, trip- ]
/ ˈtrɪf θɔŋ, -θɒŋ, ˈtrɪp- /
noun
Phonetics.
a monosyllabic speech-sound sequence perceived as being made up of three differing vowel qualities, as the pronunciation of our, especially in r-dropping dialects.
(not in technical use) a trigraph.
Origin of triphthong
1590–1600; < New Latin
triphthongus < Medieval Greek
tríphthongos with three vowels, equivalent to
tri-
tri- +
phthóngos voice, sound
OTHER WORDS FROM triphthong
triph·thong·al [trif-thawng-guh l, -thong-, trip-] /trɪfˈθɔŋ gəl, -ˈθɒŋ-, trɪp-/, adjectiveWords nearby triphthong
triphenylmethane dye,
triphibian,
triphibious,
triphosphate,
triphosphoric acid,
triphthong,
triphylite,
triphyllous,
tripinnate,
tripitaka,
triplane
Example sentences from the Web for triphthong
Trigraph, trī′graf, n. a combination of three letters sounded as one, a triphthong.
This triphthong (aye) is a combination of the slender sound of a, heard in pa-per; and the e in metre.
Triphthong, trif′thong, n. a combination of three vowels to form one sound.
Only the first two of these four words contain a triphthong.
Frdric Mistral |Charles Alfred Downer
British Dictionary definitions for triphthong
triphthong
/ (ˈtrɪfθɒŋ, ˈtrɪp-) /
noun
a composite vowel sound during the articulation of which the vocal organs move from one position through a second, ending in a third
a trigraph representing a composite vowel sound such as this
Derived forms of triphthong
triphthongal, adjectiveWord Origin for triphthong
C16: via New Latin from Medieval Greek
triphthongos, from
tri- +
phthongos sound; compare
diphthong