What is the offglide of a diphthong?

The offglide of a diphthong refers specifically to the second vowel sound that occurs in the production of a diphthong. A diphthong is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel quality and glides into another within the same syllable. The offglide is what you hear as the diphthong transitions from the first vowel, or onglide, to the second vowel. This shift from one vowel sound to another is a defining characteristic of diphthongs, making the understanding of the offglide crucial for both phonetic transcription and accurate pronunciation. Recognizing the nature of the offglide helps in identifying the specifics of how different vowel sounds blend together in speech.