Beyond British English: Exploring the Nuances of Closing Diphthongs /ɑɪ/, /eɪ/, and /ɔɪ/ in Pakistani English

Abstract

Phonological variance is a recognized phenomenon when it comes to speaking a second language. The current study aims to examine the unique phonological traits of Pakistani English pronunciations with particular attention to a set of closing diphthongs /ɑɪ/, /eɪ/, and /ɔɪ/ ending with /ɪ/ sound. For this purpose, the study used the descriptive method to explore the phonetic pattern variations among Pakistani and Standard British English pronunciations. By following the convenience sampling technique, ten participants from a private sector university in Sialkot Pakistan, are selected as a sample. A list of common words targeting selected diphthongs was provided to students, they were asked to pronounce them one after another. By employing PRAAT speech analyzing software, the obtained data suggests that Pakistani English holds distinct phonological features due to the influence of native Urduized pronunciation. Significant differences in diphthongs were found by formant value analysis (F1 & F2), with PakE showing greater values than RP. Enclosing the fact that indigenous languages and regional accents have influenced the pronunciation of PakE. The observed formant patterns may be further influenced by variances in diphthong phonemes introduced by these dialects. This work expands our comprehension of this ever-changing variant of English by allowing us to examine how regional dialects impact additional aspects of PakE phonology.