Diphthongs

əʊ

The diphthong  is made with the schwa ə and the second back vowel ʊ.  The voice placement is very forward.

1. The old Rolls-Royce was being towed down a road in Shrewsbury by a lorry carrying a load of coal.
2. Poetry used to have a code
   Imposed upon it, thus the ode
   Had a noble form which showed.
   But poets of some contemporary schools
   Have thrown away such things as rules,
   They probe down to the naked bone,
   Disclose the worm beneath the stone.
   And they hold you must not show
   Rhyme or reason – oh dear no!
   How gauche, if folk should want to know
   The hidden meaning – what a blow!
   They could not then write little rows
   Of words, which are too poor for prose.

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The diphthong ɑʊ (how) is more rounded and is placed in a more forward position in the mouth than the American sound.

Howard Cowley was a scout
Who stoutly hated camping out.
He frowned and pouted when he found
He had to sleep upon the ground.
His fellow scouts all called him: ‘Coward’,
Which was hard on little Howard
Who was never heard to grouse
When living in a proper house.
And when in streams he would not flounder,
How they shouted ‘Little bounder!’
But Howard’s scouting year by year
Brought him boundless health and cheer,
And Howard’s now a mountaineer!

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eɪ

again

This word is frequently pronounced with the diphthong eɪ in R.P. especially in period British plays.

I can’t imagine why people speak against her.
You’ll have to tell me all over again.
She might bring them back again.
Are we going to marry again, after Victor and Sybil divorce us?

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Triphthongs

Triphthongs are pronounced as pure vowels

aɪə

ɑʊə

Differing Pronunciation for British and American words

aɪI

rɪ

trɪ

brɪ

mənɪ

British Words with a pronunciation that is different from American (not a complete list)