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A centering diphthong is one that begins with a more peripheral vowel and ends with a more central one, such as [ɪə̯], [ɛə̯], and [ʊə̯] in Received Pronunciation or [iə̯] and [uə̯] in Irish. Many centering diphthongs are also opening diphthongs ([iə̯], [uə̯]). Diphthongs may contrast in how far they open or close.
The stressed diphthong /aw/ au becomes the unstressed diphthong [ɔw] au . For instance (stress underlined): s au ta /ˈsawtɔ/ → saut a r /sɔwˈta/ . The stressed diphthong /aj/ ai becomes the unstressed diphthong [ej] ai .
Another possible transcription is oʷ or ɤʷ (a close-mid back vowel modified by endolabialization), but this could be misread as a diphthong. For the close-mid near-back protruded vowel that is usually transcribed with the symbol ʊ , see near-close back protruded vowel. If the usual symbol is o , the vowel is listed here.
In Romanian, it represents the diphthong /e̯a/ as in beată ('drunk female'). In Irish, ea represents /a/ between a slender and a broad consonant. In Scottish Gaelic, ea represents /ʲa/, /ɛ/ or /e/ between a slender and a broad context, depending on context or dialect. In Old English, it represents the diphthong /æɑ̯/.
Length distinctions were eliminated in these diphthongs, yielding diphthongs /ai, ɛi, ei, au, ɛu, eu, iu, ɔu, ou/ plus /ɔi, ui/ borrowed from French. Middle English breaking: Diphthongs also formed by the insertion of a glide /w/ or /j/ (after back and front vowels, respectively) preceding /x/. Mergers of new diphthongs:
Diphthongs are typically specified with a non-syllabic diacritic, as in ui̯ or u̯i , or with a superscript for the on- or off-glide, as in uⁱ or ᵘi . Sometimes a tie bar is used: u͜i , especially when it is difficult to tell if the diphthong is characterized by an on-glide or an off-glide or when it is variable. Notes
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Lithuanian is traditionally described as having nine diphthongs, ai, au, ei, eu, oi, ou, ui, ie, and uo. However, some approaches (i.e., Schmalstieg 1982) treat them as vowel sequences rather than diphthongs; indeed, the longer component depends on the type of stress, whereas in diphthongs, the longer segment is fixed.