The Spanish Diphthong “ou“76

The Spanish diphthong "ou" is a combination of the vowel sounds /o/ and /u/. It is pronounced similarly to the English "ow" sound in words like "cow" or "house". The "ou" diphthong is found in many Spanish words, including "douro" (river), "pouco" (little), and "couro" (leather).

The "ou" diphthong is pronounced by starting with the /o/ sound and then gliding to the /u/ sound. The lips should be rounded and the tongue should be positioned in the back of the mouth. The "ou" diphthong can be stressed or unstressed.

When the "ou" diphthong is stressed, it is pronounced with a strong emphasis on the /o/ sound. The /u/ sound is pronounced more weakly. This is the case in words like "douro" and "pouco".

When the "ou" diphthong is unstressed, it is pronounced with a weaker emphasis on both the /o/ and /u/ sounds. This is the case in words like "couro" and "louro".

The "ou" diphthong can be confused with the diphthong "oi", which is pronounced similarly. However, the "oi" diphthong is pronounced with a stronger emphasis on the /i/ sound than the "ou" diphthong. This is the case in words like "coito" (intercourse) and "boina" (beret).

Here are some additional examples of Spanish words that contain the "ou" diphthong:
mouro (Moor)
pouca (little)
couro (leather)
dourado (golden)
louro (blond)
rouco (hoarse)
roupas (clothes)
mouro (Moor)
couve (cabbage)
roubo (robbery)

The "ou" diphthong is an important part of the Spanish language. It is found in many common words and it can be pronounced correctly with a little practice.

2024-12-29

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