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These are the major diphthongs of American English: oi and ou/ow. A diphthong is a technical word meaning that two vowels slide together such that there is only one syllable.

Pronounce oi by saying a long O as in no followed by a long E as in see. Pronounce ou/ow by saying a short A as in cat followed by a long O as in no. This is different from the British pronunciation many people learn which is the sound A as in father followed by U as in you. Watch the video here.

It is a good idea to also recognize that long A as in day and long I as in time are also diphthongs. Like oi, they end in a long E sound. If these sounds are unclear for you, compare: toy, day, lie and choice, race, rice. You should hear a long E like see at the end of each vowel.

counter	mounting
powerhouse	lounge
wow	flower
coward	ouch
count	shout
louder	powerpoint
how to	proud
soil	doubt
lousy	crowded
powder	point
grouchy	spoiled
how	coin a term
mouth	noise
turnout	poison

Words with stress on the 2nd syllable: announce, foundation, amount, outweigh, exploit.

Words with stress on the 3rd syllable: come about, insurmountable.

Practice New Words with more videos and lessons or see all English Practice options.

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