Anglo-Saxon Grammar and Exercise Book

The diphthongs, long and short, have the stress upon the first vowel. The second vowel is obscured, and represents approximately the sound of er in sooner, faster (= soon-uh, fast-uh). The long diphthongs (æ: is not a diphthong proper) are êo, îe, and êa. The sound of êo is approximately reproduced in mayor (= mâ-uh); that of îe in the dissyllabic pronunciation of fear (= fê-uh). But êa = æ:-uh. This diphthong is hardly to be distinguished from ea in pear, bear, etc., as pronounced in the southern section of the United States (= bæ-uh, pæ-uh).

7. The short sounds are nothing more than the long vowels and diphthongs shortened; but the student must at once rid himself of the idea that Modern English red, for example, is the short