falling diphthong
noun Phonetics.
a diphthong in which the first of the two apparent vocalic elements is of greater stress or sonority and the second is of lesser stress or sonority, as in (ī), (ou), (oi), etc.
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Are there any words that use w as a vowel?“Cwm” (a steep-walled semicircular basin in a mountain, sometimes containing a lake; a cirque) and “crwth” (an ancient Celtic musical instrument), both from the Welsh, use w as a vowel – standing for the same sound that oo stands for in boom and booth. “Crwth” is also spelled “crowd.” However, in words like “low” and “bow,” one can make a good case that the letter w represents a vowel. Both of these words end …
Nearby words
- fallibility,
- fallible,
- falling,
- falling action,
- falling band,
- falling door,
- falling down drunk,
- falling of womb,
- falling rhythm,
- falling sickness
Compare rising diphthong.
Origin of falling diphthong
First recorded in 1885–90
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019