Difference between Hiatus and Diphthong

Hiatus vs. Diphthong

Difference between Hiatus and Diphthong: – In Spanish Language, when we find two vowels together, especially at the time of making a syllabic division, we are invaded by confusion.

First of all, it is good to know that Spanish vowels fall into two categories: open or strong vowels (A, E, O) and vowels closed or weak (I, U). To divide the syllables properly, it is important to know these types of vowels; because depending on these, we will determine if they are hiatus and diphthongs and this is how we will know if we divide the syllable or not.

Difference between Hiatus and Diphthong

Since you know which vowels are open and which vowels are closed, we then clarify the difference between hiatus and diphthong.

Hiatus
We speak of a hiatus when two contiguous vowels belong to different syllables, that is, the gaps do separate.

The hiatus is formed from the union of two open vowels (A, E, O), two equal closed vowels (ii, uu) or when combining an open vowel with a closed vowel; but the closed is marked (has marked the tilde).

Depending on the geographic location, dialect variations may occur at the time of syllabic divisions.

Something important to take into account is that although there is an H between the two vowels, if they fulfill the aforementioned requirements; are hiatus. Example: there NCO.

Examples of gaps:

• Sea and
• geolo gy
• B aú l
• C ae r
• Z oo logical
• B UHO
• To laugh
• Ch ii ta

Diphthong
Diphthongs do not separate. They are formed when those contiguous vowels that are combined turn out to be an open or strong vowel and another closed or weak, as long as the vowel is not tonic; that is, that he is not marked the tilde. No matter the order in which they appear, the important thing is that they meet the above mentioned requirement.

Diphthongs can also be formed from the union of two closed vowels, but unlike what happens in the case of the hiatus; for these to form diphthong it is necessary that they are different and that neither of them bears a tilde. For example: c iu citi-, c ui given.

Like the hiatus, when it comes to diphthongs, the presence of an H in the middle of the vowels is no obstacle to its formation. Example: ahi jado.

Another thing you should know is that the Y at the end of words can form diphthongs; since when it is arranged in this way it is pronounced as ( i ). Example: m uy .

Examples of diphthongs:

• P ai saje
• Mag ia
• P au sa
• Ps eu do
• Their home
• R ei na
• L or rdes
• Individ uo

Key differences between Hiatus and Diphthong

Diphthongs are formed only when an open or strong vowel (a, e, or) and a closed or weak vowel (i, u) are combined, or when two closed vowels are combined; but without any tilde and with the condition that they are different (that is not the same vowel repeated twice). On the other hand, the hiatus is formed when two open vowels, two equal closed vowels are combined and when an open and closed vowel is combined, but the latter must have the tilde.
When we do a division of syllables, the diphthongs do not separate but the hiatus does.

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