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Why is 'diphthong' pronounced the way it is?
Pterodactyl and Archeopteryx: Silent P vs Voiced PWhy is “women” pronounced the way it is?Why is “blood” pronounced the way it is?Why is “albeit” pronounced the way it is?Why is “service” pronounced the way it is?Why is “delight” spelt and pronounced the way it is?Why is “does” sometimes pronounced “is”?Why are “look” and “school” pronounced differently?Why not pronounce single characters the same way as they are pronounced in words?vowel sound in “stair” pronounced similarly as the “eɪ” diphthong in “fake”?Why is Levi's pronounced the way it is?
According to Wiktionary, the word comes:
From French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (díphthongos,
“two sounds”), from δίς (dís, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”)
Separated into its two logical parts and translated loosely as 'two-sound', it can be compared to any of a variety of other words prefixed with 'di-', such as digraph and diglot, each of which is pronounced with a leading (ironically itself a diphthong) ˈdaɪ, not ˈdɪ.
Why is this word parsed this way? With dissect, for example, it is at least acknowledged that 'dis-sect' is a logical alternative to 'di-s[s]ect', the prevailing pronunciation. With 'diphthong', nobody even seems to ever raise an eyebrow.
pronunciation
New contributor
|
show 2 more comments
According to Wiktionary, the word comes:
From French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (díphthongos,
“two sounds”), from δίς (dís, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”)
Separated into its two logical parts and translated loosely as 'two-sound', it can be compared to any of a variety of other words prefixed with 'di-', such as digraph and diglot, each of which is pronounced with a leading (ironically itself a diphthong) ˈdaɪ, not ˈdɪ.
Why is this word parsed this way? With dissect, for example, it is at least acknowledged that 'dis-sect' is a logical alternative to 'di-s[s]ect', the prevailing pronunciation. With 'diphthong', nobody even seems to ever raise an eyebrow.
pronunciation
New contributor
2
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
5
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
1
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
According to Wiktionary, the word comes:
From French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (díphthongos,
“two sounds”), from δίς (dís, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”)
Separated into its two logical parts and translated loosely as 'two-sound', it can be compared to any of a variety of other words prefixed with 'di-', such as digraph and diglot, each of which is pronounced with a leading (ironically itself a diphthong) ˈdaɪ, not ˈdɪ.
Why is this word parsed this way? With dissect, for example, it is at least acknowledged that 'dis-sect' is a logical alternative to 'di-s[s]ect', the prevailing pronunciation. With 'diphthong', nobody even seems to ever raise an eyebrow.
pronunciation
New contributor
According to Wiktionary, the word comes:
From French diphtongue, from Ancient Greek δίφθογγος (díphthongos,
“two sounds”), from δίς (dís, “twice”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”)
Separated into its two logical parts and translated loosely as 'two-sound', it can be compared to any of a variety of other words prefixed with 'di-', such as digraph and diglot, each of which is pronounced with a leading (ironically itself a diphthong) ˈdaɪ, not ˈdɪ.
Why is this word parsed this way? With dissect, for example, it is at least acknowledged that 'dis-sect' is a logical alternative to 'di-s[s]ect', the prevailing pronunciation. With 'diphthong', nobody even seems to ever raise an eyebrow.
pronunciation
pronunciation
New contributor
New contributor
edited 31 mins ago
Azor Ahai
3,88521434
3,88521434
New contributor
asked 9 hours ago
aabebaaabeba
264
264
New contributor
New contributor
2
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
5
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
1
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
2
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
5
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
1
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
2
2
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
5
5
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
1
1
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
|
show 2 more comments
3 Answers
3
active
oldest
votes
We break diphthong into syllables differently than the Greeks did. We break it diph-thong, whereas etymologically it is di-phthong. Because there's a consonant on the end of the first syllable, it's natural for English speakers to pronounce it with a "short i", /ɪ/.
The same thing happens with diptych, whose etymology is di+ptykha, where ptykha means folds.
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
add a comment |
In words from Greek or Latin, a single vowel letter before a consonant cluster that cannot occur at the start of a word1 tends to take its "short" pronunciation. The consonant cluster in the middle of "diphthong" cannot come at the start of a word (whether you pronounce it as /fθ/ or as /pθ/), so the "i" in the first syllable is pronounced as /ɪ/.
The converse is not true: before a consonant cluster that can start a word, a single vowel letter may either be "short" or "long". For example, "diploid" is pronounced with /ɪ/ even though there are words that start with /pl/.
As Peter Shor mentioned, the criterion can also be formulated in terms of syllabification. An "open" syllable ends in a vowel, and a "closed" syllable ends in a consonant. In general, we can say that non-final closed syllables in English tend not to have "long vowel" sounds, although that isn't a firm rule of English phonotactics: there are words like "paraleipsis", where the penultimate syllable is closed and pronounced /laɪp/. This is why I included spelling in the rule that I gave at the start of this answer: it would be possible to have a word pronounced /ˈdaɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdaɪpθɒŋ/, but it wouldn't be expected to be spelled with diphth-.
There are different approaches to syllabification, but one commonly used criterion says that a consonant cluster can start a syllable only if it can start a word. This criterion implies that consonant clusters that cannot occur at the start of a word1 like /fθ/ always cause the preceding syllable to be closed. Consonant clusters that can occur at the start of a word, like /pl/, would typically be expected to form a syllable onset when the occur word-medially, but some people would argue that the use of /ɪ/ in the first syllable of "diploid" implies the syllabification dip.loid. It's unclear why diploid would be syllabified differently from diglot.
- According to the phonotactic rules for typical English words. Exceptions like some people's pronunciation of "phthalate" do not count. Incidentally, some people pronounce words like "psychic" with /ps/, but /ps/ also does not count as "a consonant cluster that can occur at the start of a word" for the purposes of this rule.
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Words that do not originate in English does not necessarily follow English pronunciation rules, And diphthong is no difference as well.
Look at the word dilemma - It is pronounced with dih instead of dahy.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dilemma?s=t
Now look at the verb divulse - it is pronounces with dahy
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulse?s=t
But the noun divulsion is pronounced with a dih
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulsion?s=t
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
|
show 2 more comments
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3 Answers
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3 Answers
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We break diphthong into syllables differently than the Greeks did. We break it diph-thong, whereas etymologically it is di-phthong. Because there's a consonant on the end of the first syllable, it's natural for English speakers to pronounce it with a "short i", /ɪ/.
The same thing happens with diptych, whose etymology is di+ptykha, where ptykha means folds.
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
add a comment |
We break diphthong into syllables differently than the Greeks did. We break it diph-thong, whereas etymologically it is di-phthong. Because there's a consonant on the end of the first syllable, it's natural for English speakers to pronounce it with a "short i", /ɪ/.
The same thing happens with diptych, whose etymology is di+ptykha, where ptykha means folds.
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
add a comment |
We break diphthong into syllables differently than the Greeks did. We break it diph-thong, whereas etymologically it is di-phthong. Because there's a consonant on the end of the first syllable, it's natural for English speakers to pronounce it with a "short i", /ɪ/.
The same thing happens with diptych, whose etymology is di+ptykha, where ptykha means folds.
We break diphthong into syllables differently than the Greeks did. We break it diph-thong, whereas etymologically it is di-phthong. Because there's a consonant on the end of the first syllable, it's natural for English speakers to pronounce it with a "short i", /ɪ/.
The same thing happens with diptych, whose etymology is di+ptykha, where ptykha means folds.
edited 5 hours ago
terdon
17.1k1266111
17.1k1266111
answered 8 hours ago
Peter Shor Peter Shor
62.6k5117227
62.6k5117227
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
add a comment |
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
Thanks. Care to opine on why dissect is pronounced di-ssect, not dis-sect? Any such rule at work here?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
4
4
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
@aabeba Dissect can be pronounced either way, and the short vowel is the original; the diphthongal pronunciation presumably came about due to influence from other words with the /daɪ-/ pronunciation. The prefix dis- (short vowel) in both Latin and Greek became dī- (long vowel) before some voiced consonants, which created side-forms with long and short vowels. The long vowel was diphthongised as part of the Great Vowel Shift in English, leaving two identical prefixes pronounced quite differently; it’s not surprisingly that some confusion would ensue.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
2
2
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Slightly off-topic, but along the same lines: we break helicopter as heli-copter, when helico-pter would be truer to the Greek etymology.
– gspr
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
Yes, helicopter is an interesting one. I suppose you can imitate the source tongue to only a degree before you are forced to yield to physiological and practical limitations.
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
1
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
@aabeba It's not a physiological or practical limitation, because presumably Greek native speakers would have been fine with that syllabication; it has to do with our phonotactics.
– Azor Ahai
30 mins ago
add a comment |
In words from Greek or Latin, a single vowel letter before a consonant cluster that cannot occur at the start of a word1 tends to take its "short" pronunciation. The consonant cluster in the middle of "diphthong" cannot come at the start of a word (whether you pronounce it as /fθ/ or as /pθ/), so the "i" in the first syllable is pronounced as /ɪ/.
The converse is not true: before a consonant cluster that can start a word, a single vowel letter may either be "short" or "long". For example, "diploid" is pronounced with /ɪ/ even though there are words that start with /pl/.
As Peter Shor mentioned, the criterion can also be formulated in terms of syllabification. An "open" syllable ends in a vowel, and a "closed" syllable ends in a consonant. In general, we can say that non-final closed syllables in English tend not to have "long vowel" sounds, although that isn't a firm rule of English phonotactics: there are words like "paraleipsis", where the penultimate syllable is closed and pronounced /laɪp/. This is why I included spelling in the rule that I gave at the start of this answer: it would be possible to have a word pronounced /ˈdaɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdaɪpθɒŋ/, but it wouldn't be expected to be spelled with diphth-.
There are different approaches to syllabification, but one commonly used criterion says that a consonant cluster can start a syllable only if it can start a word. This criterion implies that consonant clusters that cannot occur at the start of a word1 like /fθ/ always cause the preceding syllable to be closed. Consonant clusters that can occur at the start of a word, like /pl/, would typically be expected to form a syllable onset when the occur word-medially, but some people would argue that the use of /ɪ/ in the first syllable of "diploid" implies the syllabification dip.loid. It's unclear why diploid would be syllabified differently from diglot.
- According to the phonotactic rules for typical English words. Exceptions like some people's pronunciation of "phthalate" do not count. Incidentally, some people pronounce words like "psychic" with /ps/, but /ps/ also does not count as "a consonant cluster that can occur at the start of a word" for the purposes of this rule.
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
add a comment |
In words from Greek or Latin, a single vowel letter before a consonant cluster that cannot occur at the start of a word1 tends to take its "short" pronunciation. The consonant cluster in the middle of "diphthong" cannot come at the start of a word (whether you pronounce it as /fθ/ or as /pθ/), so the "i" in the first syllable is pronounced as /ɪ/.
The converse is not true: before a consonant cluster that can start a word, a single vowel letter may either be "short" or "long". For example, "diploid" is pronounced with /ɪ/ even though there are words that start with /pl/.
As Peter Shor mentioned, the criterion can also be formulated in terms of syllabification. An "open" syllable ends in a vowel, and a "closed" syllable ends in a consonant. In general, we can say that non-final closed syllables in English tend not to have "long vowel" sounds, although that isn't a firm rule of English phonotactics: there are words like "paraleipsis", where the penultimate syllable is closed and pronounced /laɪp/. This is why I included spelling in the rule that I gave at the start of this answer: it would be possible to have a word pronounced /ˈdaɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdaɪpθɒŋ/, but it wouldn't be expected to be spelled with diphth-.
There are different approaches to syllabification, but one commonly used criterion says that a consonant cluster can start a syllable only if it can start a word. This criterion implies that consonant clusters that cannot occur at the start of a word1 like /fθ/ always cause the preceding syllable to be closed. Consonant clusters that can occur at the start of a word, like /pl/, would typically be expected to form a syllable onset when the occur word-medially, but some people would argue that the use of /ɪ/ in the first syllable of "diploid" implies the syllabification dip.loid. It's unclear why diploid would be syllabified differently from diglot.
- According to the phonotactic rules for typical English words. Exceptions like some people's pronunciation of "phthalate" do not count. Incidentally, some people pronounce words like "psychic" with /ps/, but /ps/ also does not count as "a consonant cluster that can occur at the start of a word" for the purposes of this rule.
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
add a comment |
In words from Greek or Latin, a single vowel letter before a consonant cluster that cannot occur at the start of a word1 tends to take its "short" pronunciation. The consonant cluster in the middle of "diphthong" cannot come at the start of a word (whether you pronounce it as /fθ/ or as /pθ/), so the "i" in the first syllable is pronounced as /ɪ/.
The converse is not true: before a consonant cluster that can start a word, a single vowel letter may either be "short" or "long". For example, "diploid" is pronounced with /ɪ/ even though there are words that start with /pl/.
As Peter Shor mentioned, the criterion can also be formulated in terms of syllabification. An "open" syllable ends in a vowel, and a "closed" syllable ends in a consonant. In general, we can say that non-final closed syllables in English tend not to have "long vowel" sounds, although that isn't a firm rule of English phonotactics: there are words like "paraleipsis", where the penultimate syllable is closed and pronounced /laɪp/. This is why I included spelling in the rule that I gave at the start of this answer: it would be possible to have a word pronounced /ˈdaɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdaɪpθɒŋ/, but it wouldn't be expected to be spelled with diphth-.
There are different approaches to syllabification, but one commonly used criterion says that a consonant cluster can start a syllable only if it can start a word. This criterion implies that consonant clusters that cannot occur at the start of a word1 like /fθ/ always cause the preceding syllable to be closed. Consonant clusters that can occur at the start of a word, like /pl/, would typically be expected to form a syllable onset when the occur word-medially, but some people would argue that the use of /ɪ/ in the first syllable of "diploid" implies the syllabification dip.loid. It's unclear why diploid would be syllabified differently from diglot.
- According to the phonotactic rules for typical English words. Exceptions like some people's pronunciation of "phthalate" do not count. Incidentally, some people pronounce words like "psychic" with /ps/, but /ps/ also does not count as "a consonant cluster that can occur at the start of a word" for the purposes of this rule.
In words from Greek or Latin, a single vowel letter before a consonant cluster that cannot occur at the start of a word1 tends to take its "short" pronunciation. The consonant cluster in the middle of "diphthong" cannot come at the start of a word (whether you pronounce it as /fθ/ or as /pθ/), so the "i" in the first syllable is pronounced as /ɪ/.
The converse is not true: before a consonant cluster that can start a word, a single vowel letter may either be "short" or "long". For example, "diploid" is pronounced with /ɪ/ even though there are words that start with /pl/.
As Peter Shor mentioned, the criterion can also be formulated in terms of syllabification. An "open" syllable ends in a vowel, and a "closed" syllable ends in a consonant. In general, we can say that non-final closed syllables in English tend not to have "long vowel" sounds, although that isn't a firm rule of English phonotactics: there are words like "paraleipsis", where the penultimate syllable is closed and pronounced /laɪp/. This is why I included spelling in the rule that I gave at the start of this answer: it would be possible to have a word pronounced /ˈdaɪfθɒŋ/ or /ˈdaɪpθɒŋ/, but it wouldn't be expected to be spelled with diphth-.
There are different approaches to syllabification, but one commonly used criterion says that a consonant cluster can start a syllable only if it can start a word. This criterion implies that consonant clusters that cannot occur at the start of a word1 like /fθ/ always cause the preceding syllable to be closed. Consonant clusters that can occur at the start of a word, like /pl/, would typically be expected to form a syllable onset when the occur word-medially, but some people would argue that the use of /ɪ/ in the first syllable of "diploid" implies the syllabification dip.loid. It's unclear why diploid would be syllabified differently from diglot.
- According to the phonotactic rules for typical English words. Exceptions like some people's pronunciation of "phthalate" do not count. Incidentally, some people pronounce words like "psychic" with /ps/, but /ps/ also does not count as "a consonant cluster that can occur at the start of a word" for the purposes of this rule.
edited 4 mins ago
answered 8 hours ago
sumelicsumelic
49k8116221
49k8116221
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
Phonotactics, eh? Are these firm rules, or merely guidelines that indicate which consonant clusters "should be" impossible for natives of a language to pronounce? Is there a descriptivist front I can sign up for to push for a more progressive English language phonetic system?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
1
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
The consonant cluster /fθ/ can absolutely appear at the beginning of a word, at least to some people: phthalate/phthalic begins with it, as do phthisis (if you don’t pronounce it /ˈtaɪsɪs/, that is) and the perhaps rather recondite Phthiraptera.
– Janus Bahs Jacquet
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
But not, say, /pt,/ or /pht/? Pteranodon and pterodactyl, come to mind. And is there any reason initial /ks/ (xylophone, Xerox) still clings to that pesky French 'z' sound?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
add a comment |
Words that do not originate in English does not necessarily follow English pronunciation rules, And diphthong is no difference as well.
Look at the word dilemma - It is pronounced with dih instead of dahy.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dilemma?s=t
Now look at the verb divulse - it is pronounces with dahy
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulse?s=t
But the noun divulsion is pronounced with a dih
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulsion?s=t
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
|
show 2 more comments
Words that do not originate in English does not necessarily follow English pronunciation rules, And diphthong is no difference as well.
Look at the word dilemma - It is pronounced with dih instead of dahy.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dilemma?s=t
Now look at the verb divulse - it is pronounces with dahy
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulse?s=t
But the noun divulsion is pronounced with a dih
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulsion?s=t
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
|
show 2 more comments
Words that do not originate in English does not necessarily follow English pronunciation rules, And diphthong is no difference as well.
Look at the word dilemma - It is pronounced with dih instead of dahy.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dilemma?s=t
Now look at the verb divulse - it is pronounces with dahy
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulse?s=t
But the noun divulsion is pronounced with a dih
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulsion?s=t
Words that do not originate in English does not necessarily follow English pronunciation rules, And diphthong is no difference as well.
Look at the word dilemma - It is pronounced with dih instead of dahy.
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dilemma?s=t
Now look at the verb divulse - it is pronounces with dahy
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulse?s=t
But the noun divulsion is pronounced with a dih
https://www.dictionary.com/browse/divulsion?s=t
answered 8 hours ago
Uhtred RagnarssonUhtred Ragnarsson
45926
45926
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
|
show 2 more comments
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
2
2
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
Actually, dilemma can be pronounced both ways.
– Kate Bunting
7 hours ago
1
1
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
What language is this "dahy" pronunciation? It certainly isn't British English.
– alephzero
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero Silent h.
– Mr Lister
6 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
@alephzero American English, surely?
– aabeba
5 hours ago
1
1
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
@TylerH that’s the one I mean—“die-lemma”.
– aabeba
55 mins ago
|
show 2 more comments
aabeba is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
aabeba is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
aabeba is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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2
How else do you mean it could be pronounced? Why would anyone "raise an eyebrow" when it's just natural and logical? Can you please expand?
– Kris
9 hours ago
When I say it otherwise, people stare.
– Greg Lee
8 hours ago
Related (not dupe): english.stackexchange.com/questions/103014/…
– James McLeod
7 hours ago
5
Then you should also say helico-pter
– Hagen von Eitzen
6 hours ago
1
@Kris As di-phthong, 'dye-fthong'.
– aabeba
5 hours ago