Standard Lemma guide

diphthongize

verb · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-American: /ˈdɪfθɑŋaɪz/
  • General-American: /ˈdɪp-/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɪfθɒŋaɪz/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈdɪp-/

1

verb

Meaning 1

To change to a diphthong, as by inserting or removing a vowel.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To become a diphthong.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: intransitive

Topics: human-sciences, linguistics, phonetics, phonology, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

change from a simple vowel to a diphthong

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • This vowel diphthongized in Germanic

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: diphthongise

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: switch, shift, change

Narrower terms: break

History

Etymology

From diphthong + -ize.

Across languages

Translations

16 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: diftongizovat — to change to a diphthong
  • German: diphthongieren — to change to a diphthong
  • Ido: diftongigar — to change to a diphthong
  • Italian: dittongare — to change to a diphthong
  • Portuguese: ditongar — to change to a diphthong
  • Slovak: diftongizovať — to change to a diphthong
  • Spanish: diptongar — to change to a diphthong
  • Swedish: diftongera — to change to a diphthong
  • French: diphtonguer — to become a diphthong
  • German: diphthongiert werden — to become a diphthong
  • Italian: dittongare — to become a diphthong
  • Japanese: 二重母音化する (nijūboinka suru) — to become a diphthong
  • Portuguese: ditongar — to become a diphthong
  • Slovak: diftongizovať sa — to become a diphthong
  • Spanish: diptongar — to become a diphthong
  • Swedish: diftongera — to become a diphthong