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triphthong

[ trif-thawng, -thong, trip- ]

noun

  1. 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.
  2. (not in technical use) a trigraph.


triphthong

/ ˈtrɪp-; ˈtrɪfθɒŋ /

noun

  1. a composite vowel sound during the articulation of which the vocal organs move from one position through a second, ending in a third
  2. a trigraph representing a composite vowel sound such as this
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Derived Forms

  • triphˈthongal, adjective
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Other Words From

  • triph·thong·al [trif-, thawng, -g, uh, l, -, thong, -, trip-], adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of triphthong1

1590–1600; < New Latin triphthongus < Medieval Greek tríphthongos with three vowels, equivalent to tri- tri- + phthóngos voice, sound
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Word History and Origins

Origin of triphthong1

C16: via New Latin from Medieval Greek triphthongos , from tri- + phthongos sound; compare diphthong
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Example Sentences

Only the first two of these four words contain a triphthong.

Triphthong, trif′thong, n. a combination of three vowels to form one sound.

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.

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