DIPTHONGS

 As diphthongs are gliding sounds, they are

described on the basis of the tongue
movement from a beginning to an end position
 The phoneme is a rising diphthong, starting
from the position of the vowel /a/ and ending
in the position of the vowel /u/. As /a/ is not
rounded, the diphthong starts with spread lips,
but there is increasing lip rounding as the glide
approaches /u/, which is pronounced with
rounded lips. In practice the glide is hardly
ever long enough for the full second sound to
be reached, and in front of Fortis consonants
the glide is particularly short. When followed
by Lenis consonants,
 the first element of the diphthong is
considerably lengthened. In the pronunciation
of diphthongs, therefore, the Fortis/Lenis
contrast is particularly important, and
Norwegians should take great care to observe
this phenomenon. The illustrations serve as a
reminder of the vocal organs, and diphthongs
must be envisaged as resulting from the
tongue and lip movement from an initial
position to a position approaching the
position of the second sound element.
 starts as an open (central) sound
 tongue moves up towards /i/
 lips stay unrounded

 starts as a half-open back sound

 tongue moves front towards /i/
 lips gradually spread
Rising diphthongs
 Rising diphthongs glide from a more open to
a less open tongue position. Rising dipthongs
may be defined as fully back or fully front, or
they may glide from a back to a front
position. The lip position or movement is
related to the position of corresponding
vowel phonemes. A back rising diphthong will
therefore have lip rounding, whereas a front
rising diphthong will have spread lips. SBE
has five rising diphthong phonemes.
 as in
 From the position of front half-open /e/
the tongue rises in the direction of a
central /i/. Lip spreading increases during
pronunciation. Fortis/lenis contrast
considerable.

 From an open centralized /a/ the tongue

moves up towards the position of /i/. Lip
position changes from neutral to spread
during pronunciation. Fortis/lenis contrast is
considerable.
 as in
 From the position of a rounded half-open
back vowel, the front of the tongue rises in
the direction of /i/ while the open lip position
changes into spread. Fortis/lenis contrast
considerable.

 as in
 From an open centralized to back vowel
/a/ the tongue moves up in the direction
of /u/. Lip position changes from neutral to
rounded. Fortis/lenis contrast considerable.
 as in
 From a central position the tongue moves
towards the position of /u/. The lip position
changes from neutral to loosely rounded.
Fortis/lenis contrast is considerable.
Centring diphthongs
 Centring diphthongs glide from a front or
back position towards a more central
position. The two front diphthongs start with
spread lips, the back diphthong starts with
loosely rounded lips. All end with spread or
neutral lip position. The back centring
diphthong seems to be getting out of fashion
and is being replaced by by young people. In
SBE there are three centring diphthong
phonemes.
 as in
 From the position of a front, slightly
open /i/ the tongue moves in the direction of
a lax central position. The lips are spread,
and open loosely for the second element.
Fortis/lenis contrast is noticeable.
 as in
 From the position of a front half-open /e/
the tongue moves in the direction of a lax
central position. The lips are spread, and
open loosely for the second element.
Fortis/lenis contrast is considerable.
 as in
 From the back half close position of /u/
the tongue moves in the direction of a lax
central position. The lips change from loosely
rounded to neutral. Fortis/lenis contrast is
noticeable.