COMPLEX VOWELS (DIPHTHONGS)

• Have continually moving tongue shape and changing sound quality
• they are represented by two vowel symbols but counted as one unit
• the two symbols represent the begining and the end of the sound quality
• the jaw, tongue and lips make a gliding movement from the first element of the diphthong to the second
• the first part is much stronger than the second part
• can be classified as either closing or centering