The word file contains the /aɪ/ diphthong, the same glide as in 'my' and 'time', /faɪl/. The sound starts open with the jaw low (/a/) and glides up toward /ɪ/. Do not flatten it into a single short vowel, or 'file' may sound like 'fill'. Keep the glide audible and let it last. This is the most common diphthong in tech words like 'pipeline', 'compile', and 'runtime', so mastering /aɪ/ pays off across your whole vocabulary.
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What diphthong appears in "deploy" /dɪˈplɔɪ/?
The stressed syllable of deploy uses the /ɔɪ/ diphthong, the 'oy' sound as in 'boy' and 'noise', /dɪˈplɔɪ/. It glides from a rounded /ɔ/ toward /ɪ/. The first syllable 'de' is short and unstressed. Engineers say 'deploy' many times a day, so round your lips at the start of the diphthong then glide up. Avoid turning it into 'deplay' (/eɪ/) or 'deplie' (/aɪ/); the rounded onset is what makes the 'oy' sound correct.
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Which diphthong is in "cloud" /klaʊd/?
The word cloud contains the /aʊ/ diphthong, the 'ow' sound as in 'now' and 'house', /klaʊd/. It starts with an open /a/ and glides toward a rounded /ʊ/, so your lips round at the end. Do not confuse it with /oʊ/ (as in 'code'), which starts rounded; /aʊ/ starts wide open. 'Cloud computing' is everywhere, so practise opening the mouth fully then rounding the lips to close the glide. The contrast between 'cloud' /aʊ/ and 'code' /oʊ/ is a great drill.
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Which diphthong is in the first syllable of "native" /ˈneɪ.tɪv/?
The stressed first syllable of native uses the /eɪ/ diphthong, the 'ay' sound as in 'day' and 'name', /ˈneɪ.tɪv/. It glides from /e/ up to /ɪ/. Stress falls on 'NA', and the second syllable '-tive' reduces to /tɪv/. Learners sometimes shorten 'native' into 'nattive' with a flat /æ/; keep the gliding /eɪ/ long and clear. The same diphthong appears in 'stable' and 'data' in one common pronunciation, so /eɪ/ is well worth drilling.
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Which set correctly matches words to diphthongs?
The correct matches are deploy /ɔɪ/ and native /eɪ/. Reviewing the full set: 'file' uses /aɪ/, 'cloud' uses /aʊ/, 'deploy' uses /ɔɪ/, and 'native' uses /eɪ/. Each diphthong is a single gliding vowel, not two separate vowels, so keep them smooth. A quick way to remember: /aɪ/ as in 'my file', /eɪ/ as in 'native day', /ɔɪ/ as in 'deploy the boy', and /aʊ/ as in 'cloud now'. Linking each sound to a familiar word fixes it in memory.