trigraph

American  

[trahy-graf, -grahf] / ˈtraɪ græf, -grɑf /

noun

1. a group of three letters representing a single speech sound, as eau in beau.

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trigraph British  

/ ˈtraɪˌɡrɑːf, -ˌɡræf, traɪˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. a combination of three letters used to represent a single speech sound or phoneme, such as eau in French beau

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Other Word Forms

• trigraphic adjective

Etymology

Origin of trigraph

First recorded in 1830–40; tri- + -graph

Example Sentences

It can be dry and tedious stuff, replete with obscure jargon like “digraph” and “trigraph.”

From Seattle Times

Trigraph, trī′graf, n. a combination of three letters sounded as one, a triphthong.

From Project Gutenberg

A vowel trigraph in which all three of the vowels are sounded.

From Project Gutenberg