triphthong
/ˈtɹɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/
"triphthong" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“triphthong” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A monosyllabic vowel combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another that passes over a third one.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | triphthong |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈtɹɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “triphthong” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
triphthong is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈtɹɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
triphthong doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the Ancient Greek τρίφθογγος (tríphthongos, “triphthong, having three voices”), from τρία (tría, “three”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”). The correct English form is triphthong, spelled T-R-I-P-H-T-H-O-N-G.
Definition
- 1A monosyllabic vowel combination usually involving a quick but smooth movement from one vowel to another that passes over a third one.
- 2A disyllabic sequence of a vowel, a semivowel, and a vowel.
Etymology
From the Ancient Greek τρίφθογγος (tríphthongos, “triphthong, having three voices”), from τρία (tría, “three”) + φθόγγος (phthóngos, “sound”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “triphthong”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is T-R-I-P-H-T-H-O-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈtɹɪfˌθɒŋ(ɡ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.