Vowel digraphs and diphthongs are not the same thing, although they both involve combinations of vowels. Here’s the difference:
**Vowel Digraphs:**
A vowel digraph is a combination of two vowels that represent a single sound. For example, in the word ‘boat,’ the ‘oa’ is a vowel digraph that makes the long ‘o’ sound. Other examples include ‘ee’ in ‘feet’ and ‘ai’ in ‘rain.’
**Diphthongs:**
A diphthong, on the other hand, is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel sound and glides into another within the same syllable. For example, in the word ‘coin,’ the ‘oi’ is a diphthong where the sound starts with an ‘o’ and glides into an ‘i’ sound. Other examples include ‘ou’ in ‘out’ and ‘au’ in ‘caught.’
In summary, while both vowel digraphs and diphthongs involve combinations of vowels, vowel digraphs represent a single sound, whereas diphthongs involve a glide from one vowel sound to another.