Falling, narrow, front centring/opening diphthong.
For RP /eə/, the glide begins from slight1y above the half-open front position [ɛ] and moves in the direction of the more open variety of /ə/, especially word-finally. There is a very slight opening movement of the lower jaw and the lips are neutrally open throughout. The starting point is a bit closer than RP /æ/. Spanish has no equivalent dipthongh to RP /eə/, but it does have a similar hiatus sequence as in such words as e.g. pelea 'fight', gragea 'pill', in which the first vowel is closer and the second is more prominent and more open and advanced than in the English diphthong.
| <ar, aer, are> | Mary /ˈmeəri/, aerobic /eəˈrəʊbɪk/, care /keə/ | ||||
| <air> | air /eə/, fair /feə/ | ||||
| <ear> | pear /peə/, tear (v) /ˈteə/, wear /weə/ | ||||
| <ei> | heir /eə/, their /ðeə/ | ||||
| <ere> | there /ðeə/, where /weə/ | ||||
| Rare cases: |
|
| where /weə/ |
| scares /skeəz/ |
| scarce /skeəs/ |
| mayor /meə/ | prayers (thing) /preəz/ |
| aquarium /əˈkweəriəm/ |
| millionaire /ˌmɪlɪəˈneə/ |
| boleros /bəˈleərəʊz/ |
|
Claire has carefully looked for her square hairbrushes everywhere, upstairs and downstairs, but they´re nowhere.
/ˈkleə həz ˈkeəfəli ˈlʊkt fə hə ˌskweə ˈheəbrʌʃɪz ˈevrɪweə ˌʌpˈsteəz ən ˌdaʊnˈsteəz bət ˈðeə ˈnəʊweə/ |
|
My parents found it weird that a rare canary, a hare and a mare were eating a pair of their pears on the pier.
/maɪ ˈpeərənts ˈfaʊnd ɪt ˈwɪəd ðət ə ˈreə kəˈneəri ə ˈheər ənd ə ˈmeə wər ˈi:tɪŋ ə ˈpeər əv ðeə ˈpeəz ɒn ðə ˈpɪə/ |
|
Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear, Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair.
/ˈfʌzi ˈwʌzi wəz ə ˈbeə ˈfʌzi ˈwʌzi həd nəʊ ˈheə/ |
The tongue moves downwards from from just above a half-open front position to a central half open position or even lower. The lips are neutrally open throughout. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).