1. of, relating to, or containing a diphthong; pronounced as a diphthong
Usage: linguistics term; commonly used in phonetics and language study

Examples

• The vowel sound in 'boy' is diphthongal, gliding from one vowel quality to another.
• English has many diphthongal vowels that do not exist in other languages.
• The diphthongal pronunciation of 'oi' in 'coin' requires smooth movement between two distinct vowel positions.
• Linguists analyze diphthongal sounds by tracking how the tongue moves during articulation.
• Some dialects simplify diphthongal vowels into single, monophthongal sounds.