| triphthong | Origin: Pref. Tri- + -phthong, as in diphthong: cf. F. Triphthonque A combination of three vowel sounds in a single syllable, forming a simple or compound sound; also, a union of three vowel characters, representing together a single sound; a trigraph; as, eye, -ieu in adieu, -eau in beau, are examples of triphthongs. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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