ENGLISH TRIPHTHONG PRONOUNCED BY THE SIXTH SEMESTER ENGLISH STUDENTS AT BENGKULU UNIVERSITY IN THE ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024

This research was aimed to know how the sixth semester English students in
Bengkulu University, English Education Study Program, class A, B, and C, academic
year 2023/2024 pronounced English triphthong. This research used descriptive
qualitative method. The population in this research was the 100 sixth semester
students of English Education Study Program. The numbers of samples were 30% of
the population. The students were asked to pronounce five triphthongs in English
[aʊə, eʊə, ɔɪə, aɪə, eɪə] based on Wells’s theory. The result of this research showed
that the sixth semester English students gained 84% in pronouncing English
triphthong [aɪə] correctly, it was classified in excellent level. In pronouncing
triphthong [aʊə], the students gained 63% and in triphthong [eɪə], the students gained
58% that were classified in average level. In pronouncing triphthong [eʊə], the
students gained 17% and triphthong [ɔɪə] the students gained 46% that were classified
in low level. Based on the research result, it can be concluded that the accuracy of the
sixth semester English students at Bengkulu University in the academic year
2023/2024 in pronouncing English triphthong gained 54% that was classified in
average level.
Keywords: Pronunciation, Triphthong, Accuracy, Audacity