Diphthonging

/dɪfˈθɔŋɡɪŋ/ noun

Definition

The ongoing or continuous process of vowels becoming diphthongs, or the action of pronouncing something as a diphthong.

Etymology

From 'diphthongize' (verb form) + '-ing' (ongoing action). This gerund captures the dynamic, continuous nature of the linguistic process where vowels transform over time.

Kelly Says

In real-time, linguists can actually observe diphthonging happening—for example, younger Americans are increasingly diphthongizing vowels before certain consonants in ways their grandparents never did!

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