Murmur diphthongs

Here are the spelling patterns for the Murmur diphthongs a+r, u+r, e+r, o+r, and i/y+r, along with examples and their transcriptions using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

Murmur diphthong is a term used to describe a specific type of vowel-consonant combination that neither extends the vowel into a long vowel sound nor shortens it into a short vowel sound.

These combinations can often create a unique intermediate sound.

 

Here are some examples:

 

a + r Pattern:

AR: In some accents, ar can represent a murmur diphthong.

For instance, in the word car, the ar sound is not a distinct long a or short a sound but rather something in between.

 

car: [kɑ:(r)]

star: [stɑ:(r)]

park: [pɑ:k]

farm: [fɑ:m]

 

 

 

o + r Pattern:

OR: Similar to ar, in words like for, the or sound can also be considered a murmur diphthong, as it doesn’t strictly follow the patterns of a long or short o sound.

 

storm: [stɔ:m]

fork: [fɔ:k]

cord: [kɔ:d]

porch: [p ɔ:t ʃ]

 

 

 

 

u+r Pattern:

UR: In words like burn, the ur sound is another example of a murmur diphthong that doesn’t fit neatly into the categories of long or short vowels.

 

fur: [fɜ:(r)]

surf: [sɜ:f]

purple: [ˈpɜ:pl]

nurse: [nɜ:s]

 

 

 

 

 

e + r Pattern:

ER: The er sound, such as in her, can be classified as a murmur diphthong as well, as it doesn’t conform to a typical long or short e sound.

This combination can result in different sounds, depending on the word. It can be the er sound or the schwa sound.

Examples: her (er sound), teacher (schwa sound)

Transcriptions: [hɜ(r)] (for her), [ˈti:tʃə(r)] (for teacher)

 

water: [ˈwɔ:tə(r)]

mixer: [ˈmɪk.sər]

ladder: [læd.ər]

spider: [ˈspaɪdə(r)]

 

 

 

 

 

i/y + r Pattern:

 

IR: The ir sound, as in bird, can also be considered a murmur diphthong due to its unique vowel quality.

 

YR: The YR sound is less common, but it can be found in some accents or dialects. An example might be the word myrtle, where the yr combination doesn’t correspond to a traditional long or short vowel sound.

 

bird: [bɜ:d]

girl: [ɡɜ:l]

stir: [stɜ:(r)]

first: [fɜ:st]

 

tyranny: [ˈtɪr.ən.i]

pyramid: [ˈpɪr.ə.mɪd]

copyright: [ˈkɒp.i.raɪt]

martyr: [ˈmɑ:tər}

 

 

The specific pronunciation of these combinations can also be influenced by accent, dialect, and individual speech patterns.

It’s important to note that the concept of murmur diphthongs might not be universally recognised or agreed upon within linguistics, and the examples provided may vary based on accents, dialects, and linguistic interpretation.

 

 

 

 

 

Murmur Diphthongs – AR, OR, ER, UR, IR, and YR

The Spelling patterns for the letter “y”

The Spelling patterns for the letter “o”

The Spelling patterns for the letter “u”

The Spelling patterns for the letter “a”

The Spelling patterns for the letter “i”

The Spelling patterns for the letter “e”

The Phonics rules for reading and spelling