monophthong
Sign in to saveA monophthong ( ) or pure vowel is a vowel sound characterized by a relatively stable articulatory configuration throughout its duration. During the production of a monophthong, the tongue does not undergo significant vertical (height) or horizontal (front–back) movement toward a different position of articulation. For this reason, monophthongs are commonly referred to as pure vowels.
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A monophthong ( ) or pure vowel is a vowel sound characterized by a relatively stable articulatory configuration throughout its duration. During the production of a monophthong, the tongue does not undergo significant vertical (height) or horizontal (front–back) movement toward a different position of articulation. For this reason, monophthongs are commonly referred to as pure vowels.
Monophthongs are contrasted with diphthongs, in which vowel quality changes (or glides) within a single syllable, and with hiatus, in which two adjacent vowel sounds belong to separate syllables.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “monophthong” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.